# The Evidence-Based Life
**Stop guessing with your life. 765 recommendations for health, money, legal boundaries, and emergency survival β being localised for Australian readers.**
*Every rule specifies the exact costs incurred (money, time, willpower), the measured return on investment, and primary citations from peer-reviewed clinical trials and statutory law. Zero folk wisdom. Zero marketing hype.*
> [!NOTE]
> π¦πΊ **Australian edition β localisation in progress.** Emergency numbers and crisis hotlines have been checked across all 34 chapters, and Chapter 1 has been fully localised. Many rules in other chapters still describe the Chinese laws, institutions, and amounts of the original edition. Check the [localisation report](docs/verification-records/australian-localisation-report.md) for coverage, and confirm legal and benefit rules with the relevant Australian agency before acting on them. International clinical evidence keeps its original study populations. **In an emergency call 000; Lifeline (13 11 14) provides 24-hour crisis support.**
[](https://github.com/changchunlei/The-Evidence-Based-Life)
[](https://github.com/changchunlei/The-Evidence-Based-Life/actions/workflows/book.yml)
[](https://changchunlei.github.io/The-Evidence-Based-Life/)
[](#-complete-chapters)
[](#evidence-grading-standard)
[](docs/verification-records/)
[](#-license--attribution)
π Interactive Web App β’
π 2-Min Self-Audit β’
π₯ Download PDF β’
π± EPUB β’
πΎ Single-File HTML (Offline) β’
π€ AI Decision Skill
> [!TIP]
> β **Find this guide useful?** Star this repository in the upper-right corner! Every star helps more people make life decisions based on empirical science rather than hearsay.
---
## β‘ Did You Know? (Empirical Facts Backed by Science)
Most popular advice is either outdated folk belief or commercial advertising. Here are a few counter-intuitive realities verified across clinical trials and official records:
- π **A sedating cold medicine impaired driving more than alcohol**: In a driving-simulator trial, drivers given diphenhydramine (a sedating antihistamine found in some allergy and cold medicines) had worse vehicle control than drivers at 0.10% blood alcohol. Their own sense of drowsiness did not predict how badly they drove. ([Ch 34, Rule 12](book/34-safe-home-medication.md#12-do-not-drive-work-at-heights-or-operate-machinery-while-taking-cold-or-allergy-medications-containing-chlorpheniramine-or-diphenhydramine))
- π **Hot baths & saunas after drinking can be fatal**: About half of all sauna-related deaths in Finland involved alcohol, and in a Tokyo forensic series intoxication was the most common trigger of bathtub drowning. Never let a drunk companion bathe or use a sauna alone. ([Ch 22, Rule 11](book/22-science-backed-relaxation.md#11-do-not-use-hot-springs-saunas-or-hot-baths-after-drinking-alcohol))
- π§ **A cheap salt swap cut deaths by 12%**: In a randomized trial of 20,995 stroke survivors and adults over 60 with high blood pressure, switching to potassium-enriched salt lowered stroke by 14% and death by 12% over about five years β for a dollar or two more per bag. ([Ch 02, Rule 9](book/02-preventing-chronic-decline.md#9-switch-household-salt-to-lowsodium-potassiumrich-salt))
- πΆ **Baby walkers do not teach walking**: Wheeled infant walkers were linked to an estimated 230,000 US emergency department visits from 1990 to 2014, mostly head and neck injuries from falling down stairs. Walker users also learned to walk about 3 weeks later on average. Canada has banned their sale since 2004. ([Ch 20, Rule 15](book/20-newborn-survival-guide.md#15-do-not-buy-wheeled-infant-walkers-replace-them-with-stationary-activity-centers-without-wheels-or-playpens))
- π¦ **After a scam, call your bank before anything else**: The short period right after a transfer is the only window in which your bank can flag the receiving account and attempt a recall. Once the money is spread across accounts, it is almost never recovered. Report to ReportCyber and Scamwatch (1300 795 995) afterwards. ([Ch 08, Rule 2](book/08-staying-out-of-trouble.md#2-if-you-realize-youve-been-scammed-call-your-bank-right-away-to-request-a-stoppayment--dont-try-to-investigate-on-your-own-first))
- π¬ **Asking about suicide does not plant the idea**: In a randomized trial of 2,342 high-school students, being asked directly about suicidal thoughts caused no rise in distress or suicidal thinking. Students who were already depressed reported less distress. ([Ch 01, Rule 43](book/01-avoiding-premature-death.md#43-ask-someone-who-seems-emotionally-distressed-directly-have-you-had-thoughts-of-suicideasking-will-not-plant-the-idea-or-increase-suicidal-risk))
- π **The supplement illusion**: In large randomized trials, multivitamins and regular fish oil capsules did not reduce heart disease or all-cause mortality. A Cochrane review of 78 trials found that antioxidant supplements (beta-carotene, vitamin E) slightly raised mortality in the higher-quality trials. ([Ch 06, Rules 1β4](book/06-the-anti-checklist.md))
- π³ **Lending your bank account can be a crime**: Even with zero profit for you, letting others receive or move money through your account can amount to dealing with criminal proceeds β with serious criminal liability. ([Ch 09, Rule 5](book/09-everyday-legal-traps.md#5-part-time-jobs-that-ask-you-to-use-your-own-card-to-receive-payments-withdraw-cash-or-transfer-money--no-matter-how-much-extra-pay-they-offer-avoid-them))
---
## π― Quick Lookup by Real-Life Situation
Jump straight to the rules you need right now:
| Scenario | What You Will Learn | Recommended Chapters |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| **π¨ Emergency & Life-Threatening Situations** | Immediate first-minute response for cardiac arrest (CPR/AED), stroke, choking, severe bleeding, burns, poisoning, and home emergency supply checklists. | [Ch 13: Handling Emergencies](book/13-handling-emergencies.md)