Peter Attia Book Recommendations: 28 Books He Wants You to Read
The following is the list of all the books Dr. Peter Attia has read and recommends:
1. 10% Happier by Dan Harris
Picture a skeptical news anchor having a panic attack on live TV. That’s Dan Harris. His book is a hilarious journey from cynic to mindfulness convert. It’s not about achieving nirvana. It’s about being 10% happier. Just enough to take the edge off without losing your edge.
Book links: Amazon
2. Altered Traits by Daniel Goleman
This isn’t about chasing blissed-out states. It’s about rewiring your brain for good. Goleman dives into the science of how meditation changes you at a fundamental level. Not just while you’re sitting on a cushion, but in your day-to-day life.
Book links: Amazon
3. Being Wrong by Kathryn Schulz
We’re all wrong, all the time. And that’s okay. Schulz explores why we find it so hard to admit our mistakes. It’s a deep dive into the psychology of error and the pitfalls of certainty.
Book links: Amazon
4. Becoming Steve Jobs by Brent Schlender & Rick Tetzeli
Forget the turtleneck-wearing tyrant caricature. This book paints a nuanced portrait of Jobs’ evolution. It’s about how getting kicked out of Apple was the best thing that ever happened to him. It’s a story of growth, maturity, and redemption.
While he hasn’t commented directly, it’s likely the growth mindset resonates. Attia’s all about constant improvement and learning from failures. Jobs’ journey embodies that ethos.
In a text interview with The Reading Lists, Attia explicitly cited “Becoming Steve Jobs” as a highly recommended read for his career path.
Book links: Amazon
5. Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
Charlotte’s Web is the beloved 1952 children’s novel by E.B. White that centers on the unlikely yet enduring friendship between Wilbur the pig and Charlotte the barn spider. When Wilbur learns his fate is to be slaughtered, the intelligent and caring Charlotte hatches a plan to save him by weaving words of praise into her web that persuade humans Wilbur is a special pig worth sparing. The book gently explores profound themes of friendship, sacrifice, the circle of life, and death in a way that has resonated with readers across generations.
While I couldn’t find any quotes from Peter Attia directly praising Charlotte’s Web, it’s clear the book left a meaningful impression on him from an early age.
In an interview, he recalls “Sitting in the back of the beat up old station wagon reading a paperback of Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White while my mom was driving us to the mall.”
This formative memory suggests the poignant tale sparked Attia’s imagination and set him on a path as a dedicated lifelong reader.
Its resonant metaphors may have sown the seeds for Attia’s own desire to help people live more vibrantly in the time they’re given.
In an interview with The Reading Lists blog, when asked “What’s your earliest memory of reading?”, Attia recommended this book.
Book links: Amazon
6. Die with Zero by Bill Perkins
Die with Zero argues that instead of extreme delayed gratification, people (especially high earners) should aim to maximize enjoyable life experiences by spending most of their money before dying. The core idea is that you should strive to literally “die with zero” dollars–because money has no value once you’re dead. Basically, the book challenges the notion of ultra-frugality and extreme delayed gratification that is often pushed in personal finance.
According to Peter, Die with Zero blew his mind and upended conventional wisdom on money, health, and time—the key variables impacting fulfillment.
He found the book’s core philosophy of striving for “net fulfillment over net worth” to be a powerful wake-up call to optimize life in a deliberate, front-loaded way.
What Peter seems to love most is how the book equips readers with a framework for consciously designing the lifestyle around meaningful peak experiences, rather than mindlessly following society’s default “live to retire” script.
In a January 2023 episode, Peter interviewed author Bill Perkins.
He said that Die With Zero had a profound impact on his quality of life.
Peter made his wife read it and started gifting it to people who would come over to his house, along with two other books by different authors (source: Dr. Peter Attia’s website).
Book links: Amazon
7. Forgive and Remember by Charles L. Bosk
Forgive and Remember is an influential sociological study that takes an unfiltered look at how medical residents – particularly surgeons – deal with the harsh realities of making mistakes on the job. It pulls back the curtain on the intense hierarchies, power dynamics, and professional socialization process that physicians go through (source: NIH).
Book links: Amazon
8. The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz
Based on ancient Toltec wisdom, this self-help book proposes four key principles―”agreements” to make with yourself―as a philosophy for breaking free from self-limiting beliefs and living with greater joy.
Book links: Amazon
9. Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman
“Four Thousand Weeks” is all about confronting the harsh reality that most humans only get around 4,000 weeks of existence on this planet. And yet despite this ridiculously short timespan, we’re obsessed with cramming as much productivity and busyness as possible into every waking moment. Burkeman argues this relentless quest for efficiency is futile and self-defeating. The more we try to control and master time through productivity hacks, the more it slips away from us.
Book links: Amazon
10. From Strength to Strength by Arthur Brooks
“From Strength to Strength” delves into how we can cultivate happiness, success, and purpose in the later stages of life. As we age, the book argues, we need fresh strategies to overcome common challenges and transitions, like redefining identity after retirement or finding renewed meaning. Brooks prescribes developing “psychological strengths” like wisdom, productive engagement, and redirecting our “life core values” toward leaving a positive legacy.
Peter Attia did multiple podcast episodes interviewing author Arthur Brooks and unpacking the key ideas in “From Strength to Strength.”
His engaging dialogue with Brooks suggests Attia resonated deeply with the book’s framework for thriving as we get older.
For instance, Attia dug into Brooks’ concept of the “four idols that drive us” – money, power, pleasure, and fame.
He seemed intrigued by how Brooks advocates shifting from hollow idols to pursuing three components of true meaning: life accomplishments, relationships, and religious/spiritual/purpose.
Peter Attia interviewed Arthur Brooks on his podcast “The Peter Attia Drive” for episode #226 titled “The Science of Happiness” (Source: Dr. Peter Attia’s website).
Book links: Amazon
11. Good Calories, Bad Calories by Gary Taubes
“Good Calories, Bad Calories” challenges mainstream dietary advice. It flips the script on what causes weight gain and chronic disease. The central thesis is that dietary fat (including saturated fat) isn’t the villain – easily digestible carbohydrates like sugar and refined grains are. Taubes contends carbs drive obesity and metabolic disorders by spiking insulin levels, promoting fat storage.
Attia has said this book had a “major impact” on his thinking, even as he later disagreed with some conclusions.
To paraphrase his own words on a podcast: “Good Calories, Bad Calories” calls into question many assumptions in the medical community around nutrition that “simply rest on flawed science.”
It seems what Attia loved most was how the book raised provocative challenges to standard dietary advice, based on Taubes’ dogged examination of long-buried research.
Even if he didn’t agree with everything, Attia appears to respect how it shakes the nutritional tree, so to speak, in a rousing departure from conventional wisdom.
In a podcast interview, Peter suggested: “When I first read Gary Taubes’ book “Good Calories, Bad Calories” it had a major impact on my thinking, even though I later came to disagree with some of its conclusions as I became an obesity researcher myself.” (Source: Dr. Peter Attia’s website).
Book links: Amazon
12. How to Change Your Mind by Michael Pollan
Pollan’s “How to Change Your Mind” is a no-bullshit exploration of psychedelics – powerful consciousness-altering substances like LSD, psilocybin, and DMT. It dives deep into the history, neuroscience, and the potential for psychedelics to radically disrupt paradigms around mental health, spirituality, and our understanding of human consciousness itself.
It’s not hard to see why this book resonated so powerfully with Dr. Peter Attia.
First, Attia respects Pollan’s meticulous research and impartial, evidence-based approach to an objectively “trippy” topic.
As Attia said, the book “does such a great job explaining” the science and neuroscience behind psychedelics’ consciousness-warping effects on the brain’s default mode network.
But beyond the rigorous science, Attia seems captivated by Pollan’s first-hand accounts of his own psychedelic journeys – and by extension, their prospective value for therapeutically treating depression, addiction, anxiety, and existential dread.
These all fit squarely into Attia’s mission of exploring novel ways to extend human healthspan and confront the challenges of aging and mortality head-on.
Attia’s first-ever episode on his own podcast featured this book, with guest Tim Ferriss discussing it at length.
In the video description, Attia explicitly stated: “If this topic even remotely interests you, I can’t recommend Tim’s podcast with Michael Pollan, author of How to Change Your Mind, enough (You should definitely read Pollan’s book as well.)”
During the same episode, Attia spotlighted a thought-provoking example from the book about our inability to describe modern phenomena due to a lack of vocabulary and context.
He explained:
“Pollan gives a great example of that in his book…about if you take somebody from you know whatever a thousand years ago put him in a time machine bringing the times square let him hang out for five hours shoot him back can they describe what they saw not really…”
(Source: YouTube video timestamp [1:05:38])
Book links: Amazon
13. I Don’t Want to Talk About It by Terrence Real
Terrence Real shines a long-overdue light on the often invisible struggle of male depression. The book makes a crucial distinction between “overt” depression that manifests dramatically, versus the chronic, mild “covert” depression that frequently goes undiagnosed in men. Real argues this covert depression drives many stereotypically “masculine” behaviors like anger issues, workaholism, substance abuse, and intimacy problems – which are misguided attempts to suppress the underlying emotional pain.
In his own words introducing the podcast with Real, Attia revealed he had been “wanting to have a discussion like this with you publicly almost from the day I read your book.”
According to Attia’s own anecdote, a therapist recommended Real’s book after noting he needed a male therapist.
Upon reading it, Attia proclaimed: “Even if not one other person has read that book, he wrote it for me and it was worth the effort he put into it.”
Attia conducted an almost two-hour interview with Terrence Real in July 2020, titled “#119 – Terry Real: Breaking the cycle of shame, anger, and depression” (Source: YouTube, Dr. Peter Attia’s website).
At the end, Attia expressed:
“I want to thank you very much for making the time, especially on a short notice. I’ve been wanting to have a discussion like this with you publicly almost from the day I read your book which was even before we started working together. I want to just thank you for everything personally and otherwise…”
Source: YouTube timestamp [1:36:08]
He even recommended this book on his Instagram:
Book links: Amazon
14. Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach
Jonathan Livingston Seagull is a classic allegorical novella about a seagull named Jonathan who is obsessed with pushing the boundaries of what is possible through the mastery of flight. Unlike his flock-mates who are only concerned with finding scraps of food, Jonathan is captivated by the pure thrill and artistry of flying itself.
Book links: Amazon
15. King of Hearts by G. Wayne Miller
“King of Hearts” chronicles one of the most riveting events in 20th-century medical history – the pioneering work of Dr. C. Walton Lillehei and the team. They made open-heart surgery a reality in the 1950s. The book walks you through the tension-filled operating rooms where Lillehei boldly performed the first successful open-heart operations on critically ill children using revolutionary new techniques.
While Attia has not explicitly spelled out his reasons for loving “King of Hearts,” we can make some educated guesses based on his background and interests.
As a former surgeon obsessively focused on extending the boundaries of human healthspan, Attia was likely captivated by Lillehei’s willingness to take enormous risks and buck conventional thinking to achieve one of medicine’s greatest milestones of that era.
At the end of the day, it seems books displaying paradigm-shifting feats that redefine the limits of what we consider possible appeal to Attia on a primal level.
“King of Hearts” fits that bill as the captivating account of a revolutionary who refused to accept the heart as inoperable.
When asked about important books for his career path in a text interview, Attia directly cited “King of Hearts: The True Story of the Maverick who Pioneered Open Heart Surgery” by G. Wayne Miller.
Book links: Amazon
16. Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me) by Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson
This book explores the psychological phenomenon of cognitive dissonance, which leads people to justify mistakes and harmful behaviors rather than admit fault. It illustrates how we unconsciously engage in self-justification, confirmation bias, and memory distortion to reduce psychological tension when we act in ways that contradict our self-image.
Peter Attia is crazy about this book. In his own words on the podcast with the authors:
“I read Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me) for the first of many times circa 2012 maybe 2013. It was love at first sight. And the first thing I did was google you guys. And somehow I came across Carol’s phone number or maybe it was an email but I think it was actually a phone number and I called and and I actually got a hold of Carol…”
Source: YouTube timestamp [4:13]
Attia clearly deeply appreciated the book’s profound insights into how we delude ourselves to avoid admitting mistakes.
Additionally, in a blog post, Attia listed “Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me)” as essential reading to enhance critical thinking and reasoning skills.
In his podcast interview with the authors (YouTube video titled “#130 – Carol Tavris, Ph.D. & Elliot Aronson, Ph.D.: Recognizing and overcoming cognitive dissonance”), Attia directly praises the book (Source: YouTube timestamp [4:13]).
In one of Attia’s blog posts titled “Why we’re not wired to think scientifically (and what can be done about it)”, he listed “Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me)” as one of the very few books you should read to get better at critical thinking and reasoning.
Book links: Amazon
17. One Bullet Away by Nathaniel C. Fick
“One Bullet Away” is a gripping memoir by Nathaniel Fick chronicling his journey from Dartmouth undergrad to becoming a Recon Marine officer leading troops during the Iraq War in 2003. It provides an honest account of the intense combat scenarios Fick faced as a platoon commander trying to bring his men home safely from one of America’s deadliest modern conflicts.
Attia has cited “One Bullet Away” as one of the books he has read the most times.
The resolute discipline and selfless courage that the Marine Corps hones in its officer corps aligns with Attia’s relentless obsession with optimizing human potential through dedicated training – physically, mentally, and philosophically.
He likely admires Fick’s perseverance under immense pressure to remain a beacon of resilience while guiding his young troops through the fog of war.
When asked which books he has read multiple times, Attia directly stated on The Reading Lists blog:
“the books I’ve read the most are… One Bullet Away: The Making of a Marine Officer by Nathaniel C. Fick.”
Book links: Amazon
18. Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity by Peter Attia
“Outlive” is Peter Attia’s comprehensive manifesto on living a longer, healthier life. In it, he calls out the “Four Horsemen” threatening longevity – heart disease, cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and metabolic dysfunction. Rather than modern medicine’s reactive approach of treating these chronic conditions after they develop, Attia advocates a proactive “Medicine 3.0” focused on enhancing one’s health span – the number of healthy, high-quality years we maximize through preventative interventions.
Book links: Amazon
19. Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari
Sapiens explores how Homo sapiens came to be the dominant species on Earth. It divides history into three major revolutions: Cognitive, Agricultural, and Scientific. Harari argues that Sapiens’ unique ability to cooperate flexibly through myth-making and shared fiction allowed us to reshape the world like no other species.
While I could not find any specific mention of this book in Peter’s podcast conversations, the text-based interview with The Reading Lists came in handy.
Peter was asked, “Are there any books you haven’t mentioned that you feel would make your reading list?”
He replied saying that Sapiens is one of the books among many others.
Book links: Amazon
20. Stillness is the Key by Ryan Holiday
“Stillness is the Key” explores the importance of cultivating stillness – mentally, spiritually, and physically – to achieve greater focus, clarity, and inner peace. Drawing wisdom from ancient Stoic philosophy, Buddhism, and other traditions, Holiday makes a powerful case for intentionally embracing stillness practices to counterbalance the frenetic pace and constant distractions of modern life.
Book links: Amazon
21. Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman! by Richard Feynman
“Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman!” is an entertaining memoir offering a candid glimpse into the life and adventures of legendary physicist Richard Feynman. The book’s conversational style paints Feynman as a brilliant yet eccentric scientist who questioned authority, exposed flaws wherever found, and balanced his passion for pure science with humanistic pursuits like art and drumming.
Peter Attia clearly admires Richard Feynman, funnily stating:
In college and med school, I would not date a girl unless she agreed to read “Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman”
Attia values Feynman’s integrity, his willingness to scrutinize claims, and his ability to blend the joy of learning with developing himself as a well-rounded individual beyond just academics.
Attia directly recommends the book in a blog post on his website, titled “Why we’re not wired to think scientifically (and what can be done about it)”.
He also mentions “Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman!” during his appearance on The Tim Ferriss Show podcast episode titled “Dr. Peter Attia on Life-Extension, Drinking Jet Fuel, Ultra-Endurance, Human Foie Gras, and More (#50)”.
Book links: Amazon
22. The Comfort Crisis by Michael Easter
“The Comfort Crisis” argues that modern society’s relentless pursuit of comfort and convenience is ironically detrimental to our health and well-being. Author Michael Easter makes the provocative case that humans need to regularly expose themselves to discomfort, challenges, and stresses akin to what our ancestors faced.
Peter Attia endorses the book’s counterintuitive premise that discomfort is crucial for optimal human thriving (we can see this from the fact that Peter loves rucking).
During interviews with Easter, Attia discusses ideas like “the value in doing something difficult” and how removing life’s hardships has created a modern “crisis of comfort” we must overcome.
In a follow-up podcast, Attia states “The Comfort Crisis” is “a book people have heard [me] talk about over and over again. It’s on the short list of books [I] recommend regularly”.
Peter interviews Michael Easter on The Peter Attia Drive (podcast) episode “#134 Exploring the Comfort Crisis with Michael Easter”. Here, he talks about the core concepts discussed in the book.
Peter has Michael Easter back for a follow-up episode “#284 – Overcoming addictive behaviors, elevating wellbeing, thriving in an era of excess, and the scarcity loop”.
This is where he re-emphasized the importance of the book “The Comfort Crisis”.
Book links: Amazon
23. The Emperor of All Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee
This book is an in-depth exploration of cancer from its ancient origins to the modern era. Mukherjee, an oncologist himself, chronicles humanity’s battle against this formidable disease. The book covers the groundbreaking discoveries that laid the foundations of cancer research. It delves into the evolution of treatments like surgery, radiation, and chemo.
Attia’s take? The book is a must-read. Here’s what he says:
“I had read the Emperor of all maladies…having myself studied in oncology, there were so much that I learned…it’s a must read.”
Attia gushes about understanding cancer’s messy history – from Barnard Fisher’s pioneering role to the mastectomy’s creation.
If you want the no-bullshit truth about cancer and its biography, pick up this Pulitzer Prize winner. It’s ruthlessly well-researched and compellingly written.
Peter Attia interviewed Mukherjee in Dec 2018 and Feb 2023, highly praising “The Emperor of All Maladies” both times.
In the 2018 episode, Attia called it a “must read” for its in-depth historical account of cancer. (Source: YouTube timestamp [7:29]).
Book links: Amazon
24. The Puzzle People by Thomas Starzl
“The Puzzle People” is an autobiography chronicling the pioneering work of Dr. Thomas E. Starzl, a trailblazer in organ transplantation. He takes readers through the complex history of organ transplants, detailing key innovations like the first successful liver transplant in 1967 and his development of anti-rejection drugs.
Book links: Amazon
25. The Road to Character by David Brooks
“The Road to Character” is David Brooks’ meditation on the deeper values that truly shape one’s inner character versus the superficial pursuit of external success metrics. Brooks contrasts “resume virtues” like career accomplishments with deeper “eulogy virtues” like integrity, humility, and moral courage. He argues that modern society glorifies the former at the expense of the latter.
Book links: Amazon
26. The Talent Code by Daniel Coyle
“The Talent Code” argues that greatness isn’t reserved for a select few “naturals” – it can be developed through specific methods. The key is engaging in “deep practice” which builds myelin, the insulating sheath around neurons that increases signal velocity and skill acquisition.
Book links: Amazon
27. The Transformed Cell by Steven A. Rosenberg
“The Transformed Cell” is a memoir by Dr. Steven Rosenberg, the pioneer researcher who helped develop immunotherapy and gene therapy as new frontiers for treating cancer. The book chronicles his decades-long quest starting in 1968 to find ways to boost the body’s immune system to fight tumors.
Peter loves “The Transformed Cell” because it provides a compelling window into the perseverance required to make major medical breakthroughs like immunotherapy.
In his words:
“I may have the record for most times reading it. I may also possess the record for most copies owned, which I know you got a kick out of that.”
Peter considers “The Transformed Cell” among “one of the best books about science”.
Peter raved about the book during his lengthy podcast interviewing Rosenberg: “#177 – Steven Rosenberg, M.D., Ph.D.: The Development of Cancer Immunotherapy and Its Promise for Treating Advanced Cancers” (Source: Dr. Peter Attia’s website).
Book links: Amazon
28. This Is Water by David Foster Wallace
“This Is Water” is based on a 2005 commencement speech by the late author David Foster Wallace. Its central theme? The importance of being aware, mindful, and conscious in everyday life. Rather than operating on autopilot, Wallace challenges readers to wake up and critically examine their default ways of thinking.
The core ideas covered in “This is Water” include:
When someone tweeted asking “How does one know if their mental health is in order or not?”, Attia replied with this banger:
For Attia, Wallace’s speech encapsulates his ideal for mental well-being – being able to consistently apply the learnings around awareness, choice, and compassionate living.
Additionally, Peter Tweeted out late David Foster Wallace’s photo on his birthday with the following words:
“David Foster Wallace would have been 57 years old today. If you have not done so in the past month (this is monthly listening, IMO), take the time to listen–again–to one of the greatest addresses ever given: This Is Water.”
Not to mention an episode with Tim Ferriss where Peter stressed the significance of listening to “This is Water” at least once a month.
In a February 2018 blog post titled “This is water”, Attia wrote about revisiting the speech frequently and finally internalizing its profound lessons (Source: Dr. Peter Attia’s website).
Attia has tweeted quotes from the speech, calling it “one of the greatest addresses ever given” and recommending monthly re-listens.
Here’s the complete commencement speech that David Foster Wallace gave:
Book links: Amazon
Closing Thoughts
Peter Attia has always been a huge source of inspiration for me, long since I discovered his work.
These were 28 books, of different genres, that he recommends reading.
As I keep doing my research, I will keep this guide fresh by adding new recommendations to the lists.
In the meantime, I would like to hear from you.
Which books have you read?
Most importantly, which book(s) has had the biggest impact (mindset shift, perspective shift, anything) on your life?
Let me know by leaving a comment below right now.
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Article by
Dhruvir Zala
I founded Amazing Elite to unlock the secrets of the world’s top performers and make their life-changing strategies accessible to all. My mission? To provide you with the same tools, mindsets, and resources that elite achievers use.