What do you think?
Rate this book
How Not to Die: Revised and Updated: Discover the Foods Scientifically Proven to Prevent and Reverse Disease
How Not To Revised and Updated is an empowering guide featuring the latest scientific discoveries on nutrition and longevity. Discover the foods, exercise, and lifestyle habits that prevent the fifteen leading causes of disease-related death. This program is read by coauthor, Michael Greger, M.D.
Doctors are good at treating acute illnesses, but bad at preventing chronic disease. The fifteen diseases that lead to the most deaths in America claim the lives of 1.6 million annually. This doesn't have to be the case. For the most part, these diseases and illnesses are preventable. In this revised and updated edition of the bestselling classic, Dr. Michael Greger shares groundbreaking scientific discoveries in nutrition and longevity. With updates from all of the most recent studies, HOW NOT TO DIE is a guide to the methods proven to keep the reaper off our backs, detailing the foods we should eat and the lifestyle changes we can make to live longer.
Internationally-renowned as a nutrition expert, physician, and founder of NutritionFacts.org, Dr. Greger examines the fifteen diseases that are the leading causes of death in America—heart disease, various cancers, Alzheimer's, diabetes, Parkinson's, and more—and explains how nutritional and lifestyle interventions can often surpass the modern medical approach, freeing us to live longer, healthier lives.
Full of practical, actionable advice and surprising, cutting edge nutritional science, these doctor's orders offer the best chance for living healthy well-beyond our expiration dates.
A Macmillan Audio production from Flatiron Books
Doctors are good at treating acute illnesses, but bad at preventing chronic disease. The fifteen diseases that lead to the most deaths in America claim the lives of 1.6 million annually. This doesn't have to be the case. For the most part, these diseases and illnesses are preventable. In this revised and updated edition of the bestselling classic, Dr. Michael Greger shares groundbreaking scientific discoveries in nutrition and longevity. With updates from all of the most recent studies, HOW NOT TO DIE is a guide to the methods proven to keep the reaper off our backs, detailing the foods we should eat and the lifestyle changes we can make to live longer.
Internationally-renowned as a nutrition expert, physician, and founder of NutritionFacts.org, Dr. Greger examines the fifteen diseases that are the leading causes of death in America—heart disease, various cancers, Alzheimer's, diabetes, Parkinson's, and more—and explains how nutritional and lifestyle interventions can often surpass the modern medical approach, freeing us to live longer, healthier lives.
Full of practical, actionable advice and surprising, cutting edge nutritional science, these doctor's orders offer the best chance for living healthy well-beyond our expiration dates.
A Macmillan Audio production from Flatiron Books
Audible Audio
Published December 9, 2025
6 people are currently reading
8 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 14, 2025
The short answer to the question posed by "How Not to Die" upon its initial publication 10 years ago remains the same a decade later: eat a whole-food, plant-based diet centered around unprocessed plant foods. In this revised and updated 10-year anniversary edition, Michael Greger, M.D., FACLM, once again supports his argument with meticulous references to thousands of scientific studies, making his claims both ambitious and verifiable.
While critics have long pointed out that Greger's evidence - while extensive - can be somewhat selective, which hasn't changed here, he does an excellent job of addressing questions of causation vs. correlation in various studies. What has changed in the revised edition are the updates: a new Author's Note and fresh research on everything from Dr. Ornish’s Alzheimer's reversal study to topics like COVID-19 and pandemic protection, cannabis, air pollution, acid blockers, obesity and weight stigma, depression and food, forest bathing, and even companion animals. He also revisits the ongoing debates around mammograms, prostate cancer screening, and other hot-button health topics.
Whether or not you fully subscribe to a plant-based lifestyle, it's hard to argue with the central message - that eating more plants and fewer processed foods benefits nearly everyone. Greger's enthusiasm for his subject is infectious, and his narration brims with energy, humor, and a genuine desire to empower listeners through information.
That said, this audiobook is not "easy listening." Though Greger presents his subject in an approachable way, at over 17 hours, the audiobook is dense, data-heavy, and not designed for passive consumption. While Greger references countless studies, following up on them mid-listen is nearly impossible (for context: I own the first edition's paperback, which includes more than 175 pages of notes and references). The audiobook format is best for absorbing the big picture, not the fine print.
Still, "How Not to Die" remains a well-researched, passionate, and engaging deep dive into nutrition and health. The second part of the book also provides invaluable practical advice on how to incorporate "Dr. Greger's Daily Dozen" into your everyday diet.
Regardless of where you fall on the plant-based spectrum, this book is an essential, fascinating and motivating reminder that what we eat truly matters - and that knowledge, quite literally, can be life-saving.
Many thanks to Macmillan Audio for providing me with an advance copy of the audiobook via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
How Not to Die: Revised Edition was published on December 9, 2025, and is available now.
While critics have long pointed out that Greger's evidence - while extensive - can be somewhat selective, which hasn't changed here, he does an excellent job of addressing questions of causation vs. correlation in various studies. What has changed in the revised edition are the updates: a new Author's Note and fresh research on everything from Dr. Ornish’s Alzheimer's reversal study to topics like COVID-19 and pandemic protection, cannabis, air pollution, acid blockers, obesity and weight stigma, depression and food, forest bathing, and even companion animals. He also revisits the ongoing debates around mammograms, prostate cancer screening, and other hot-button health topics.
Whether or not you fully subscribe to a plant-based lifestyle, it's hard to argue with the central message - that eating more plants and fewer processed foods benefits nearly everyone. Greger's enthusiasm for his subject is infectious, and his narration brims with energy, humor, and a genuine desire to empower listeners through information.
That said, this audiobook is not "easy listening." Though Greger presents his subject in an approachable way, at over 17 hours, the audiobook is dense, data-heavy, and not designed for passive consumption. While Greger references countless studies, following up on them mid-listen is nearly impossible (for context: I own the first edition's paperback, which includes more than 175 pages of notes and references). The audiobook format is best for absorbing the big picture, not the fine print.
Still, "How Not to Die" remains a well-researched, passionate, and engaging deep dive into nutrition and health. The second part of the book also provides invaluable practical advice on how to incorporate "Dr. Greger's Daily Dozen" into your everyday diet.
Regardless of where you fall on the plant-based spectrum, this book is an essential, fascinating and motivating reminder that what we eat truly matters - and that knowledge, quite literally, can be life-saving.
Many thanks to Macmillan Audio for providing me with an advance copy of the audiobook via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
How Not to Die: Revised Edition was published on December 9, 2025, and is available now.
December 12, 2025
Whew , this one is a commitment. Over 17 hours, and honestly, he packs every minute with something useful. The first part of the book is Dr. Greger breaking down major diseases and how we can help prevent them, and he delivers it with a kind of tough love. It’s the stuff we need to hear, even if it’s not exactly what we want to hear… mostly that we should give up meat, fish, and poultry and focus hard on a diverse plant-based diet loaded with herbs, spices, nuts, seeds, and greens.
What I appreciated is that he backs everything with study after study and makes a point of calling out research that isn’t funded by big food companies. It feels honest, direct and here’s the truth, do what you will with it, don’t blame me if you die of a preventable disease because if showed you the research and you don’t do the work kinda attitude.
The second part shifts into the practical side of things and feels like he gives us a little grace to have some moderation if you make improvements and he teaches us how to live with all this knowledge in real life. I didn’t read the first edition, I’m feeling pretty motivated because a lot of this is new to me. I signed up for his newsletter, downloaded the app, and I’m ready to make some changes. I’m spouting broccoli and having 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric. I’m not giving up meat entirely, but I’ll definitely cut down and load up on veggies especially kale, broccoli, flaxseed, and berries.
And bless this man for rationalizing my coffee habit and giving full permission to enjoy nuts, berries, and mangoes. That alone made the long listen worth it.
I am impressed that he is donating all of his profits from this book. The app, website (https://nutritionfacts.org/) and his speaking engagements are all free and run on donations. Learning this made me like him
Even more!
Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
What I appreciated is that he backs everything with study after study and makes a point of calling out research that isn’t funded by big food companies. It feels honest, direct and here’s the truth, do what you will with it, don’t blame me if you die of a preventable disease because if showed you the research and you don’t do the work kinda attitude.
The second part shifts into the practical side of things and feels like he gives us a little grace to have some moderation if you make improvements and he teaches us how to live with all this knowledge in real life. I didn’t read the first edition, I’m feeling pretty motivated because a lot of this is new to me. I signed up for his newsletter, downloaded the app, and I’m ready to make some changes. I’m spouting broccoli and having 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric. I’m not giving up meat entirely, but I’ll definitely cut down and load up on veggies especially kale, broccoli, flaxseed, and berries.
And bless this man for rationalizing my coffee habit and giving full permission to enjoy nuts, berries, and mangoes. That alone made the long listen worth it.
I am impressed that he is donating all of his profits from this book. The app, website (https://nutritionfacts.org/) and his speaking engagements are all free and run on donations. Learning this made me like him
Even more!
Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
December 16, 2025
Lots of good information and advice in this audiobook. I’ve read this book before, but this version has been revised and updated. It still has the same message—eat a whole food, plant based diet. You can tell the authors have done solid research and can back up their advice. The updates are an author’s note and some new research from the last 10 years since publication. The book does kind long at times. It’s also full of information on a topic that can be dry at times. I had to listen a little bit each day. All in all, I appreciated all the good information in this audiobook. Michael Greger did a good job narrating. I received this book from Macmillan Audio and NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews