Last Updated on September 16, 2020 by James Matthews
“We only use 10% of our brains. Think of what we can do if we can use the full 100%.”
You’ve probably heard this factoid casually uttered in a conversation here or there.
While this is sadly not true, there are ways that you can train your body and brain to increase your productivity and achieve longevity. Thanks to the practice commonly known as “biohacking,” more people are beginning to discover proposed secrets to unlocking their hidden human potential.
Biohacking is an interdisciplinary field with countless resources, which poses a challenge for beginners. Struggling with its unfamiliar jargon and seeing through the pseudoscientific claims only adds insult to injury.
Worry no more; we’re here to help. We compiled a list of the top 6 biohacking books on the market. They cover all aspects of the topic, and they’re more than enough to start you on your biohacking journey.
Buckle up and get ready for the information overdose!
Here are 6 Books on Biohacking We Suggest
All the way from nutrition and exercise to meditation and sleeping habits. We’re confident that our biohacking book choices will help you visualize the big picture of biohacking.
1. Intro to Biohacking – By Ari Meisel
How to Be Smarter, Stronger, and Happier
The first book we’ll review is the quintessential biohacking guide. In this book, Ari Meisel uses his inspirational story of battling Crohn’s disease and eventually completing Iron Man in 2011 to inspire his readers to make small habitual changes in their lives to achieve large results.
In Intro to Biohacking, the author lays his argument of how the culmination integrating small, incremental changes to his diet, exercise, and mindset helped him overcome his deadly chronic disease, and eventually, live a much happier and healthier lifestyle.
As the name suggests, the book is barely an intro to the topic, with some touching upon the broad strokes of the biohacking concept. The focus here is on the inspirational story rather than actionable steps. You might get some bits of information and diet tweaks here and there, but expect nothing more.
It tends to be a short emotional read, rather than a manifesto.
Things We Like
- An easy short introductory read
- The step-by-step approach is helpful to beginners
- Loaded with helpful resources and external references
Things We Don’t Like
- Some methods are outdated and obsolete
- Some references to pseudoscientific research
All in all, Intro to Biohackingis a great introduction to the topic of optimizing your productivity, with some excellent external references to expand your knowledge. However, it does fall short of executable advice.
You can find the paperback and Kindle editions here.
2. Head Strong – By Dave Asprey
Next on our list is a staple in every biohacker’s reading list. You’ll nearly find it as a recommended read in every blog article about the topic, and there’s a reason for that!
Dave Asprey is a Silicon Valley tech guru, claimed by many to be ‘the father of biohacking’ after he launched his infamous Bulletproof Program; a set of products, alongside the program, of course, intended to help you live your best life according to a science-based approach.
You can think of this book as a sequel for the Bulletproof Diet, in which Asprey shares his experience on ‘hacking’ your body through a diet/exercise balance. In Head Strong, he continues to teach us how to ‘hack’ our brains through a set of techniques including meditation, cold showers, and some diet tips.
For us, we enjoyed the narration from the perspective of mitochondria.
Things We Like
- Some people who followed his tips actually recognized some improvement
- A nice introduction to the biohacking field
- Complements Asprey’s podcast of biohacking
- Some parts are supported by evidence and examples
Things We Don’t Like
- Some readers didn’t like the “sales-y” tone
- Lacks scientific evidence of mentioned methods
The issue here, like most biohacking books, is a question of value. Most of the stated information is considered to be common knowledge, while other bits of information lack solid scientific proof.
After all, it’s more of an experiment to try to make our lives better. It doesn’t necessarily rely on scientific evidence, but rather some effort and experimentation.
If you want to read something about how to retain your energy and vitality, this is the way to go.
Click here to check it out.
3. Sleep Smarter – By Shawn Stevenson
This book gives another inspiring personal feat of perseverance in the face of adversity by the author. After having his dream of being a professional athlete crushed by some degenerative bone disease, Shawn Stevenson details the story of how he went from neglecting his health and body to achieving astounding fitness and business success.
Sleep Smarter is one of those books that’ll probably strike you with how little you know about your sleep. Its readers almost had a consensus that they didn’t know that poor sleeping habits can have such an impact on their lives.
His 14-day Sleep Makeover, detailed in the book, explains how you can hack your circadian rhythm to achieve better sleeping patterns, how to utilize sunlight to help your sleep, and what proven sleep nutrients can help improve your sleep patterns.
Things We Like
- A detailed approach to most of the tips provided in the book
- Depicts the exact steps to achieve the results claimed by each chapter
- An insightful read with proven results
Things We Don’t Like
- The author self-promotes stuff throughout the book
Controlling sleep is a cornerstone of any biohacking regimen you intend to follow. If you want to delve deeper into the issue, this biohacking book is a beneficial resource. Just try to ignore the ‘marketing’ bits and you should be fine. The writing style is worth it!
You can get it off Amazon here. It’s available in hardcover, paperback, audiobook, and Kindle edition.
4. Super Human – By Dave Asprey
The Bulletproof Plan to Age Backward and Maybe Even Live Forever
It’s no surprise that Dave Asprey is featured twice on this list. We can’t help it if the man is a resourceful expert on the topic!
The focus here is rather on the aging aspect. How one can grow old gracefully, and implement some changes on a cellular level to extend his life span.
As with most of the entries on the list, this book is inspired by a tale of personal struggle and the author’s experience surpassing it. After suffering from a number of symptoms of aging at a young age, Dave Asprey started a long journey that lasted for two decades, discovering scientifically-proven ways to stop and reverse the aging process.
In Super Human, Asprey trumps the assumption most people have that age is insurmountable and inevitable. In his “Seven Pillars of Aging,” he lists the unhealthy behaviors people do that contribute to aging and how you can surpass them.
Through scientific research, personal experience, and practical methods, Dave Asprey provides a guide on how to biohack your body to overcome the ultimate human challenge, aging.
Things We Like
- A summary at the end of every chapter helps you navigate the content easily
- Concise, actionable steps that are easy to follow
- Well researched with great external resources to help the reader expand their readings
Things we don’t like:
- Advertised products are sprinkled everywhere
- Some of the experiments Asprey performs on himself seem almost dangerous or unhealthy
Super Humanis an overall good read. Honestly, it’s quite interesting since most of the content stems from Asprey’s own experiments. However, he isn’t a qualified scientist and he has gone to some extreme measures with his experimentation. We advise you to read it with a grain of salt.
Check it out here.
5. The Awakened Ape – By Jevan Pradas
In this riveting study on the philosophies and practices of ancient societies, Jevan Pradas presents a self-proclaimed answer to modern society’s woes as a whole.
Detailing his adventures of traveling through South America and India, Pradas uses evolutionary psychology to explain the secrets of life shared by the ancient cultures of these areas and explains why modern society has been missing out on it.
While it’s mostly written in a narrative fashion, The Awakened Apeprovides a clear guide on meditation practices to improve your mindset. By following a paleolithic lifestyle, Pradas attempts to answer the question of “Why can’t we live life to the fullest?” through his experiences.
The book goes beyond the individualistic sense of biohacking and rather analyzes the cultural and social aspects of living a good life. It explores how our modernity contributes to our collective unhealthy lifestyle.
Things We Like
- It features a nice actionable section on a guided meditation
- An eye-opening read with a unique approach
- One of the few that focus on meditation rather than nutrition
Things We Don’t Like
- There’s no citation to a lot of the studies mentioned in the book
- The book seems to be aimed at young, western, male readers. A big chunk of the middle part is apocryphal tales of macho sex appeal by the author.
In short, The Awakened Apeis an interesting read with a peculiar narrative structure. It has some good criticisms of the ails of modern societies and provides an exciting alternative through ancient practices.
The downside, however, is that sometimes it comes off as condescending to the reader, and the science is not very verifiable.
If you’re looking for an exotic perspective, rather than an action plan, give it a try.
You can buy The Awakened Ape online through this link.
6. Boundless – By Ben Greenfield
The final book on our list is an all-round, detailed guide on optimizing your entire body through diet, nutrition, and exercise. Boundlessis a result of years of experience and research done by Ben Greenfield in the field of biohacking and how to optimize your body’s performance.
It’s a clear, concise guide on self-improvement, providing you with action steps to improve your life. Greenfield epitomizes the term “biohack” by showing you how to sleep, study, eat and exercise smarter, using tried and proven science, and with the least amount of effort.
Its simple, science-based approach appeals to plenty of readers, making it the perfect step-by-step guide to biohacking.
We’ve got to warn you, though. This is a big biohacking book! In over 600 pages, Greenfield elaborates on each and every aspect of biohacking. Even more, you’ll find some additional resources online. Nerds and perfections are there for a treat!
Things We Like
- You can open up the book to any section and start using its techniques, you don’t have to read it in order
- Clear lists of steps of easy-to-follow instructions
- Most of the information is backed with verifiable science
Things We Don’t Like
- A lot of the supplements advertised are sold by the author, raising questions on self-promotion
In short, Boundlesscan be described as a Bible for the body. It provides a comprehensive, well-rounded guide to improving your overall physical and mental health. However, don’t buy into all of the products advertised in the book.
As you see, biohacking gurus have a habit of incorporating their products into their suggested routines. Yet, take it from us, it’s not a necessity.
Boundless is available on Amazon, here.
Wrapping Up
Like any new concept, you’ll need some time to get acquainted with it. Biohacking is no different.
The only challenge you’ll face will be to filter what you read. Some stuff will appeal to you, while other stuff might be utterly useless. Don’t let that discourage you. You don’t have to religiously follow what you read.
We hope we’ve helped you lay your hands on some insightful biohacking books throughout this article. Happy reading!
