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Game Changers: What Leaders, Innovators, and Mavericks Do to Win at Life
The bestselling author of Head Strong and The Bulletproof Diet answers the question "How do I kick more ass?"—providing proven techniques for becoming happier, healthier, and smarter, culled from the wisdom and insight of world-class thought leaders and mavericks of science and business.
When Dave Asprey started his Bulletproof Radio podcast more than five years ago, he sought out thought leaders and influencers in an array of disciplines, from biochemists to business titans to mediation masters. These folks were some of the top performing humans in the world, people who had changed their areas of study or even pioneered entirely new fields. Dave wanted to What did they have in common? What mattered most to them? What makes them so successful at what they do—and what makes them happiest? And so, at the end of each interview, Dave began asking the same "What are your top three recommendations for people who want to kick more ass?"
Combing through the recordings, looking for patterns and common threads, he found that the wisdom gleaned from these highly successful people can be distilled into three main body, mind, and spirit. Game Changers is the culmination of Dave’s years-long statistical analysis of these conversations, offering thirty-six science-backed, high performance "laws" that are a virtual playbook for how to become not only more successful, but also happier and healthier.
Each chapter of Game Changers is structured around one of these laws. Dave combines anecdotes from game changers like Daniel Amen, David Perlmutter, Arianna Huffington, Dan Harris, and Tim Ferris with his own research and practical advice that readers can put into action immediately. From practicing gratitude and mindfulness to prioritizing social connections and sex, taming fear and anxiety to optimizing nutrition and movement, Dave brings together the wisdom of today’s game-changers to help everyone optimize their lives.
When Dave Asprey started his Bulletproof Radio podcast more than five years ago, he sought out thought leaders and influencers in an array of disciplines, from biochemists to business titans to mediation masters. These folks were some of the top performing humans in the world, people who had changed their areas of study or even pioneered entirely new fields. Dave wanted to What did they have in common? What mattered most to them? What makes them so successful at what they do—and what makes them happiest? And so, at the end of each interview, Dave began asking the same "What are your top three recommendations for people who want to kick more ass?"
Combing through the recordings, looking for patterns and common threads, he found that the wisdom gleaned from these highly successful people can be distilled into three main body, mind, and spirit. Game Changers is the culmination of Dave’s years-long statistical analysis of these conversations, offering thirty-six science-backed, high performance "laws" that are a virtual playbook for how to become not only more successful, but also happier and healthier.
Each chapter of Game Changers is structured around one of these laws. Dave combines anecdotes from game changers like Daniel Amen, David Perlmutter, Arianna Huffington, Dan Harris, and Tim Ferris with his own research and practical advice that readers can put into action immediately. From practicing gratitude and mindfulness to prioritizing social connections and sex, taming fear and anxiety to optimizing nutrition and movement, Dave brings together the wisdom of today’s game-changers to help everyone optimize their lives.
352 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 4, 2018
1107 people are currently reading
4896 people want to read
About the author
Dave Asprey
62 books585 followersDave Asprey and his brands promote using science and biohacking technology to give you control of your body and mind, so you can upgrade to a happier more conscious state.
Known as "The Father of Biohacking, "Dave Asprey is an award-winning entrepreneur and innovator in the biotech and health science space. He’s the creator of Bulletproof Coffee and mineralized, mold-free Danger Coffee, the host of the Webby Award-winning #1 rated health podcast, The Human Upgrade (formerly Bulletproof Radio), and a multi-New York Times bestselling author of Game Changers, Head Strong, The Bulletproof Diet, and Smarter Not Harder.
Over the last two decades, Dave has worked with world-renowned doctors, researchers, and global mavericks to discover and put into practice the latest, most innovative methods, techniques, and products for enhancing mental and physical performance. Dave has personally spent millions taking control of his own biology – pushing the bounds of what’s humanly possible all in the name of scientific evolution and revolution. As the creator of The Bulletproof Diet and Bulletproof Coffee, collagen protein supplements, and many more commercial wellness products, Dave’s mission is to empower people not only with information and knowledge, but also the tools and techniques that unlock individual potential for the greater global good. To bring his knowledge to the public, Dave created the Biohacking Conference, the largest, longest-running Biohacking Conference in the world, celebrating its 11th anniversary in 2025.
Known as "The Father of Biohacking, "Dave Asprey is an award-winning entrepreneur and innovator in the biotech and health science space. He’s the creator of Bulletproof Coffee and mineralized, mold-free Danger Coffee, the host of the Webby Award-winning #1 rated health podcast, The Human Upgrade (formerly Bulletproof Radio), and a multi-New York Times bestselling author of Game Changers, Head Strong, The Bulletproof Diet, and Smarter Not Harder.
Over the last two decades, Dave has worked with world-renowned doctors, researchers, and global mavericks to discover and put into practice the latest, most innovative methods, techniques, and products for enhancing mental and physical performance. Dave has personally spent millions taking control of his own biology – pushing the bounds of what’s humanly possible all in the name of scientific evolution and revolution. As the creator of The Bulletproof Diet and Bulletproof Coffee, collagen protein supplements, and many more commercial wellness products, Dave’s mission is to empower people not only with information and knowledge, but also the tools and techniques that unlock individual potential for the greater global good. To bring his knowledge to the public, Dave created the Biohacking Conference, the largest, longest-running Biohacking Conference in the world, celebrating its 11th anniversary in 2025.
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June 22, 2019
Great Read! Top takeaways:
It is our mitochondria that controls how we survive with the three F's. Fear which is fight or flee, feed what just make sure you eat to stay alive, and fornicate to make sure the species continues.
Focusing on your weaknesses makes you weaker.
Daily brain power is finite therefore it becomes imperative to prioritize on highly impactful things you love and getting rid of things that drain you!
LAW 1: the power of saying no.
Be honest with what's important to you.
Anytime you have to make a hard decision hold your breath until you can't any longer and then count additional 8 Seconds. Something difficult it makes the next thing easier.
LAW 2: Decide and create Who You Are.
LAW 3: when you say I'm trying you are lying to yourself. You need to stop trying and start doing.
LAW 4: even your false beliefs are true. You define your reality.
Your beliefs directly impact the outcomes of your efforts.
LAW 5: keep learning.
LAW 6: remember images and not words. Learn to read and images to maximize memory.
LAW 7: Smart drugs are here to stay! Neotropics.
Modafinil is a wonderful nootropic which is like the drug from the movie Limitless with no side effects.
LAW 8: Get out of your head.
Fear of failure causes failure.
Stagnation kills innovation.
LAW 10: fear is the mind Killer.
The chemistry of our blood changes depending on our current view of the world.
CELEBRATE FAILURE!
THE EMOTIONAL STACK:
Happiness and Freedom
Fear
Anger pride
Sadness
Apathy Shame
Your Preconditioned to live at the bottom to survive so must stay consciously above the line.
Promote failure daily with your kids by asking what area is they failed in and congratulate them
LAW 11: average is the enemy.
Face criticism with joy.
LAW 12: Don't lead a horse to water, make it thirsty!
LAW 13: don't push your limits for too long.
Massively create and then massively rest. Sprint, rest, Sprint.
LAW 14: Miracles are possible only in the morning.
LAW 15: don't think with your labido.
The goal is to channel sexual energy into your work.
LAW 17: push your comfort zone when having sex.
LAW 18: Use sex as your drug of choice. Porn is the high fructose syrup of the mind. Stay away!
LAW 19: waking up early does not make you better.
LAW 20: High quality sleep is better than more sleep!
Sleeping on your back is poor quality sleep while you're sleeping on your side is optimal.
Bite guards are key to sleep hack!
LAW 22: Walk before running.
LAW 23: Strong muscles make you smarter and younger.
LAW 24: Stay flexible by stretching
LAW 25: make sure you're really hungry for food.
LAW 26: Eat like your great ancestors.
What you eat now will impact your kids Generations from now.
Take vitamin D 3, k2, a, magnesium, krill oil, copper zinc iodine and methyl B12 with methylfolate supplement with polyphenols extracted from plants.
LAW 29: track it to hack it.
LAW 30: What doesn't kill us strengthens us. Apply this to stress in life!
LAW 31: heal like Wolverine an age like Benjamin Button by getting stem cell injections yearly.
LAW 32: you can put a price tag on happiness. Once you have your needs met making excess money does not substantially increase happiness so the goal becomes make sure you meet your needs and then swing for the fences.
What annual income do you need to get your needs met. Now imagine you had double that. How would you spend your time? That is what makes you happy so focus on coming more of that.
LAW 33: wealth is a symptom of happiness.
Studies show that happier employees add more Revenue as well as take less sick days
Happiness is fuel that gets you to your vision faster.
LAW 34: the less you have the more you gain.
LAW 35: Community helps you achieve more and be happy.
Oxytocin is important because it releases a feel-good agent when connecting with another and overrides the fear mechanism.
LAW 36: you are a reflection of your community.
Build connections before you need them.
Look to hang around like hearted people that think differently so they may elevate your game.
LAW 37: No relationship is an island! Use energy wisely.
LAW 38: own the Voice in your head through meditating.
LAW 39: hijack your body's attention. You control your thoughts.
LAW 40: meditate better and quicker for the results in a shorter amount of time.
LAW 41: Make you're environment less like a farm and more like a zoo. Spend time outdoors!
LAW 42: sunlight is mandatory 20 minutes a day unfiltered.
LAW 43: bathe in the forest instead of the tub.
LAW 44: gratitude is stronger than fear
Be grateful for everything both good and challenges.
Each night focus on something you did to help someone else that day, as well as several items were grateful for. It's still the same your kids as well.
LAW 45: forgive, but don't be sorry.
Choose positive meanings with every interaction.
LAW 46: Gratitude is a muscle, learn to use it.
TONY ROBBINS 3 MIN EXERCISE:
Gets in gratitude for a minute where he feels the experience and puts himself there.
Then spend a minute focusing on a blessing for a feels God in his body and taking care him, family, clients and everybody is feeling.
Focuses on any problem he is currently facing and feels the solution as if it's solved. Then he focuses on three specific outcomes that he's looking at in feels them as if they're done and celebrates.
Situations are neutral, how you perceive them makes them good or bad.
David asprey is biggest game changer is gratitude ^ 3. All this is, is writing down and speaking of three things you're grateful for each day. Then he States one failure that he's grateful for that day.
THINK BIGGER AS THE ONLY LIMITS ARE INTERNAL!
It is our mitochondria that controls how we survive with the three F's. Fear which is fight or flee, feed what just make sure you eat to stay alive, and fornicate to make sure the species continues.
Focusing on your weaknesses makes you weaker.
Daily brain power is finite therefore it becomes imperative to prioritize on highly impactful things you love and getting rid of things that drain you!
LAW 1: the power of saying no.
Be honest with what's important to you.
Anytime you have to make a hard decision hold your breath until you can't any longer and then count additional 8 Seconds. Something difficult it makes the next thing easier.
LAW 2: Decide and create Who You Are.
LAW 3: when you say I'm trying you are lying to yourself. You need to stop trying and start doing.
LAW 4: even your false beliefs are true. You define your reality.
Your beliefs directly impact the outcomes of your efforts.
LAW 5: keep learning.
LAW 6: remember images and not words. Learn to read and images to maximize memory.
LAW 7: Smart drugs are here to stay! Neotropics.
Modafinil is a wonderful nootropic which is like the drug from the movie Limitless with no side effects.
LAW 8: Get out of your head.
Fear of failure causes failure.
Stagnation kills innovation.
LAW 10: fear is the mind Killer.
The chemistry of our blood changes depending on our current view of the world.
CELEBRATE FAILURE!
THE EMOTIONAL STACK:
Happiness and Freedom
Fear
Anger pride
Sadness
Apathy Shame
Your Preconditioned to live at the bottom to survive so must stay consciously above the line.
Promote failure daily with your kids by asking what area is they failed in and congratulate them
LAW 11: average is the enemy.
Face criticism with joy.
LAW 12: Don't lead a horse to water, make it thirsty!
LAW 13: don't push your limits for too long.
Massively create and then massively rest. Sprint, rest, Sprint.
LAW 14: Miracles are possible only in the morning.
LAW 15: don't think with your labido.
The goal is to channel sexual energy into your work.
LAW 17: push your comfort zone when having sex.
LAW 18: Use sex as your drug of choice. Porn is the high fructose syrup of the mind. Stay away!
LAW 19: waking up early does not make you better.
LAW 20: High quality sleep is better than more sleep!
Sleeping on your back is poor quality sleep while you're sleeping on your side is optimal.
Bite guards are key to sleep hack!
LAW 22: Walk before running.
LAW 23: Strong muscles make you smarter and younger.
LAW 24: Stay flexible by stretching
LAW 25: make sure you're really hungry for food.
LAW 26: Eat like your great ancestors.
What you eat now will impact your kids Generations from now.
Take vitamin D 3, k2, a, magnesium, krill oil, copper zinc iodine and methyl B12 with methylfolate supplement with polyphenols extracted from plants.
LAW 29: track it to hack it.
LAW 30: What doesn't kill us strengthens us. Apply this to stress in life!
LAW 31: heal like Wolverine an age like Benjamin Button by getting stem cell injections yearly.
LAW 32: you can put a price tag on happiness. Once you have your needs met making excess money does not substantially increase happiness so the goal becomes make sure you meet your needs and then swing for the fences.
What annual income do you need to get your needs met. Now imagine you had double that. How would you spend your time? That is what makes you happy so focus on coming more of that.
LAW 33: wealth is a symptom of happiness.
Studies show that happier employees add more Revenue as well as take less sick days
Happiness is fuel that gets you to your vision faster.
LAW 34: the less you have the more you gain.
LAW 35: Community helps you achieve more and be happy.
Oxytocin is important because it releases a feel-good agent when connecting with another and overrides the fear mechanism.
LAW 36: you are a reflection of your community.
Build connections before you need them.
Look to hang around like hearted people that think differently so they may elevate your game.
LAW 37: No relationship is an island! Use energy wisely.
LAW 38: own the Voice in your head through meditating.
LAW 39: hijack your body's attention. You control your thoughts.
LAW 40: meditate better and quicker for the results in a shorter amount of time.
LAW 41: Make you're environment less like a farm and more like a zoo. Spend time outdoors!
LAW 42: sunlight is mandatory 20 minutes a day unfiltered.
LAW 43: bathe in the forest instead of the tub.
LAW 44: gratitude is stronger than fear
Be grateful for everything both good and challenges.
Each night focus on something you did to help someone else that day, as well as several items were grateful for. It's still the same your kids as well.
LAW 45: forgive, but don't be sorry.
Choose positive meanings with every interaction.
LAW 46: Gratitude is a muscle, learn to use it.
TONY ROBBINS 3 MIN EXERCISE:
Gets in gratitude for a minute where he feels the experience and puts himself there.
Then spend a minute focusing on a blessing for a feels God in his body and taking care him, family, clients and everybody is feeling.
Focuses on any problem he is currently facing and feels the solution as if it's solved. Then he focuses on three specific outcomes that he's looking at in feels them as if they're done and celebrates.
Situations are neutral, how you perceive them makes them good or bad.
David asprey is biggest game changer is gratitude ^ 3. All this is, is writing down and speaking of three things you're grateful for each day. Then he States one failure that he's grateful for that day.
THINK BIGGER AS THE ONLY LIMITS ARE INTERNAL!
February 8, 2019
Pseudoscientific garbage.
And sometimes really funny, so bad.
For example. When explaining the whole Dual n Back training he states that it improves the fluid intelligence with 50%.
Meaning from 100 to 150.
Also it greatly improves math capabilities.
A few minutes (paragraphs) later he states that he couldn't imagine giving talks with only half the fluid intelligence that he had before the training.
Okay. 100 isn't half from 150.
Then he says that almost all ultra endurance athletes uses nootropics and do microdosing. That just bullshit. As a runner who does triple digit races, the ultra endurance world is a huge part of my life. This shit is just not true.
Somewhere in the beginning of the book. He gives an example of an unhealthy meal: "A pseudo vegan burrito"
A huge part of the top of ultra endurance athletes and both the most succesful woman (Lizzy Hawker) and man (Scott Jurek), the guy who ran the sahara desert (Charlie Engle) did that plant powered!
And sometimes really funny, so bad.
For example. When explaining the whole Dual n Back training he states that it improves the fluid intelligence with 50%.
Meaning from 100 to 150.
Also it greatly improves math capabilities.
A few minutes (paragraphs) later he states that he couldn't imagine giving talks with only half the fluid intelligence that he had before the training.
Okay. 100 isn't half from 150.
Then he says that almost all ultra endurance athletes uses nootropics and do microdosing. That just bullshit. As a runner who does triple digit races, the ultra endurance world is a huge part of my life. This shit is just not true.
Somewhere in the beginning of the book. He gives an example of an unhealthy meal: "A pseudo vegan burrito"
A huge part of the top of ultra endurance athletes and both the most succesful woman (Lizzy Hawker) and man (Scott Jurek), the guy who ran the sahara desert (Charlie Engle) did that plant powered!
August 30, 2019
Lots of good gems. WAAAAAAY too much self promo.
Read
December 23, 2018Full disclaimer I am a great fan of Tim Ferris and all his books. I write that because this book follows along the lines of Tools of Titans and Tribe of Mentors with the material taken from Dave Asprey's podcasts Bulletproof Radio. I love this stuff. I find reading about cutting-edge ideas alongside time-proven techniques fascinating and I always find at least one thing I want to do. For me, that's worth the read and I don't have to listen to every podcast - only those I think will expand on areas that have caught my attention.
The book is easy to read and set up to convey the answer to his central question: If someone came to you tomorrow wanting to perform better as a human being, what are the three most important pieces of advice you'd offer, based on your life experience? At the end of each chapter, he offers a summary in the form of action items, recommended listening (all Bulletproof Radio podcasts), and recommended reading. That helps a lot.
So what one thing did I find in this book? A twist to the daily gratitude practice that I do (most days anyway). Acknowledging one failure each day. Incorporate a failure as one of the three things you are grateful for. That's a mind-blowing concept to me but when I read about it I instantly saw the value. By daily looking at failure and then letting it go, forgiving yourself, you begin to view it as part of life. I know we "know" it is but most of us really get hung up on not failing. This practice will I hope, help to normalize failure help push boundaries, and move out of my comfort zone in the context of living a better life.
There's a lot of material here, read through, grab something that appeals and see where it takes you. It's an easy interesting read.
The book is easy to read and set up to convey the answer to his central question: If someone came to you tomorrow wanting to perform better as a human being, what are the three most important pieces of advice you'd offer, based on your life experience? At the end of each chapter, he offers a summary in the form of action items, recommended listening (all Bulletproof Radio podcasts), and recommended reading. That helps a lot.
So what one thing did I find in this book? A twist to the daily gratitude practice that I do (most days anyway). Acknowledging one failure each day. Incorporate a failure as one of the three things you are grateful for. That's a mind-blowing concept to me but when I read about it I instantly saw the value. By daily looking at failure and then letting it go, forgiving yourself, you begin to view it as part of life. I know we "know" it is but most of us really get hung up on not failing. This practice will I hope, help to normalize failure help push boundaries, and move out of my comfort zone in the context of living a better life.
There's a lot of material here, read through, grab something that appeals and see where it takes you. It's an easy interesting read.
June 7, 2019
This book as a standalone book - is brilliant. But, except for the drugs part of the book, this book is just a rehash of all the classic self help books that has come so far. You'd be better off reading the Tools of Titans book by Tim Ferris. That said, this book does have some useful information. If i were you, i'd take the science quoted in the book with a pinch of salt, and the information about drugs as a primer, and not as a tell-tale holy-grail thing.
Biohacking is great. Using substances to hack your body - no matter what it is, it's called substance-usage. The culture in our world generally has made it a taboo to do so. I am a strong believer in body's ability to do things naturally that the drugs advocated in this book does for you. So, my suggestion would be to listen to everything this book has to say, take the good, and leave the bad.
Biohacking is great. Using substances to hack your body - no matter what it is, it's called substance-usage. The culture in our world generally has made it a taboo to do so. I am a strong believer in body's ability to do things naturally that the drugs advocated in this book does for you. So, my suggestion would be to listen to everything this book has to say, take the good, and leave the bad.
May 17, 2022
This in Nonfiction Health. I didn't know who this guy was until yesterday. I heard him being interviewed on a podcast. While I wasn't sure about him, I liked his message so I went searching for his books.
There is plenty of food for thought in this one. Some of his ideas are mainstream and others are pretty far out there. Overall, I thought this one interesting. It gave me things to ponder and I liked his 'all inclusive' demeanor and how he talked about the positives.
This book covers many different facets of human health. Sometimes I liked the diversity, and sometimes I felt he needed to reign it in. While this book may not be for everyone, I would like to think that most readers could probably glean a useful idea or two from the pages. Ti
There is plenty of food for thought in this one. Some of his ideas are mainstream and others are pretty far out there. Overall, I thought this one interesting. It gave me things to ponder and I liked his 'all inclusive' demeanor and how he talked about the positives.
This book covers many different facets of human health. Sometimes I liked the diversity, and sometimes I felt he needed to reign it in. While this book may not be for everyone, I would like to think that most readers could probably glean a useful idea or two from the pages. Ti
December 8, 2018
This is another very good book on biohacking and optimizing oneself. It contains 46 laws, each with tested techniques for becoming happier, healthier, and smarter. All these techniques are based on author's own experience and also on hundreds conversations with world-class mavericks of science, business and many other disciplines. All these laws are divided into three main categories, smarter, faster and happier.
What I liked the most is that every law is independent. It is not necessary to start at the page 1. You can pick any law you want or need at the moment. What's more, every law ends with a brief summary and also a set of action steps you can make. So, even if you forget something you read, the author will remind you about the most important points, as well as how to implement them. This also makes this book a very good source of tips when you finish it and need advice. Just pick a law you need and read just that one.
I highly recommend this book. It is a very good choice for anyone who wants to optimize his life and work. There is a tip, or law, anyone can use. Just pick the one you need.
What I liked the most is that every law is independent. It is not necessary to start at the page 1. You can pick any law you want or need at the moment. What's more, every law ends with a brief summary and also a set of action steps you can make. So, even if you forget something you read, the author will remind you about the most important points, as well as how to implement them. This also makes this book a very good source of tips when you finish it and need advice. Just pick a law you need and read just that one.
I highly recommend this book. It is a very good choice for anyone who wants to optimize his life and work. There is a tip, or law, anyone can use. Just pick the one you need.
May 16, 2020
Great book! Wish I had the PDF, though. I didn't agree with everything he wrote but he had many good items to extract. He talked a lot about drugs and it made me want to try the legal ones that he suggested like Modafinil (the one the movie Limitless is based off of). Then he got lost in the drugs so maybe I won't take them now. He also said multiple times that he's going to live to be 180.
Notes:
The most important things for the successful people are nutrition, relationships, and self awareness.
An author like that A-word Tim Ferriss, doesn't make him person an expert or successful.
Weasel word #1 is can't. When you use the word "can't", it robs you of power and crushes innovative thinking. When you say "I can't do that" what you actually mean is one of four things: You could use some help doing it, you don't currently have the tools to do it. You simply don't know how to do it, or you just don't want to do it. Can't is always a lie.
Weasel word #2 is need. Replace it with the truth, you want, you choose, you decide.
Weasel word #3 is bad. The majority of the time, when you say something is bad you really mean you don't like it or don't want it. Bad creates a false binary. Things are more than just good or bad. When you label something bad you miss out on an opportunity for how to figure out it can be good.
Weasel word #4 is try. When you hear the word try, you assume that whatever you are going to try to do might not be possible. It gives your brain an out. Try gives you an excuse to fail.
Your beliefs inform how you experience the world.
I need to look up Jim Qwik who trained Professor X.
For reading well:
F: forget
A: active
S: and I didn't hear the rest of them dang it.
T:
Hack your memory by teaching your brain to think in images rather than words. When you visualize something, information takes a shortcut on the memory part of the brain skipping over short-term memory and going into long term. Out of the 5 senses, our sight is most important to the brain because it is tied to our survival. Poor quality light sources drain a lot of your brains energy. That is why temptation is much worse when it's super late at night. You should be at home instead of fornicating, dang you people.
When visualizing use the first image that comes to your mind and make sure it's in 3D. Your brain remembers it better.
Self awareness is an intimate understanding of the normally subconscious factors that motivate you.
Reading glasses make your eyes weaker?
How does stupid Tim Ferriss say he can gauge his happiness setpoint to be 15-20% higher by taking a hallucinogen?
The breath is the world's most powerful drug. And Holotropic breathing is how you can engage in it. For example, he remembered a lot of details of his birth because of holotropic breathing and he was able to find all the trauma that he experienced. Newborns need to be held right away from birth to avoid that trauma.
Innovation doesn't happen unless you're willing to break the rules that other people have written.
The entire lining of your digestive track is replaced every three days.
People usually want to help others when given the chance.
There's a 4th state of water between a solid and a liquid and it's highly viscous like honey. It's called Exclusion Zone (EZ water). It's the type of water that's in our cells. And I guess that when you mix gi (butterfat) it creates EZ water.
The five minute rule is to give yourself 5 minutes to be negative and complain then stop after that.
Porn is the high fructose corn syrup of sex. I'm glad he condemned watching it.
If you don't get enough sunlight in the day (produces serotonin) and then you won't get enough melatonin to help you sleep at night.
Sitting for 6 or 7 hours a day can undo 1 or 2 hours of exercise.
He says that long distance endurance exercise ages the brain. Nope, nope, nope. Wrong there Dave.
Canola oil didn't exist until 1985 and it's the second most used vegetable oil in the US.
Use Olive oil for finished dishes, not for cooking. I don't know why it's bad for cooking.
Vitamin K2 helps heal cavities by keeping calcium in their place. I've always wondered about what people did before dentists, and apparently teeth can heal themselves.
The stem cell transplants (the non ethical kind) seem all neat.
End goals fall into three distinct buckets: things you want to experience, ways you want to grow as a human being, and ways in which you want to contribute to or leave your mark on the world. When you set practical goals for yourself, take the time to consider these end goals.
Life's most important things, aren't things.
Only 10% of empathy is hardwired. The rest is learned.
"Success without fulfillment is the ultimate failure." Tony Robbins
Hahah JP Sears made fun of him and the bulletproof thingy.
Don't hang out with like minded people because they don't help you grow. Hang out with like hearted people because they are accepting of you. So how does that apply to marriage and having similar goals?
I guess back in the Olden Days our ape ancestors had open relationships or something. I don't see how this is. He seems to be for it. But at least he says it's not for everyone.
I guess a long time ago people didn't approve of meditation like how we don't approve of drugs today.
Meditating takes your right brain to the gym.
Shi rin roku- Forrest bathing. I need to do that.
Notes:
The most important things for the successful people are nutrition, relationships, and self awareness.
An author like that A-word Tim Ferriss, doesn't make him person an expert or successful.
Weasel word #1 is can't. When you use the word "can't", it robs you of power and crushes innovative thinking. When you say "I can't do that" what you actually mean is one of four things: You could use some help doing it, you don't currently have the tools to do it. You simply don't know how to do it, or you just don't want to do it. Can't is always a lie.
Weasel word #2 is need. Replace it with the truth, you want, you choose, you decide.
Weasel word #3 is bad. The majority of the time, when you say something is bad you really mean you don't like it or don't want it. Bad creates a false binary. Things are more than just good or bad. When you label something bad you miss out on an opportunity for how to figure out it can be good.
Weasel word #4 is try. When you hear the word try, you assume that whatever you are going to try to do might not be possible. It gives your brain an out. Try gives you an excuse to fail.
Your beliefs inform how you experience the world.
I need to look up Jim Qwik who trained Professor X.
For reading well:
F: forget
A: active
S: and I didn't hear the rest of them dang it.
T:
Hack your memory by teaching your brain to think in images rather than words. When you visualize something, information takes a shortcut on the memory part of the brain skipping over short-term memory and going into long term. Out of the 5 senses, our sight is most important to the brain because it is tied to our survival. Poor quality light sources drain a lot of your brains energy. That is why temptation is much worse when it's super late at night. You should be at home instead of fornicating, dang you people.
When visualizing use the first image that comes to your mind and make sure it's in 3D. Your brain remembers it better.
Self awareness is an intimate understanding of the normally subconscious factors that motivate you.
Reading glasses make your eyes weaker?
How does stupid Tim Ferriss say he can gauge his happiness setpoint to be 15-20% higher by taking a hallucinogen?
The breath is the world's most powerful drug. And Holotropic breathing is how you can engage in it. For example, he remembered a lot of details of his birth because of holotropic breathing and he was able to find all the trauma that he experienced. Newborns need to be held right away from birth to avoid that trauma.
Innovation doesn't happen unless you're willing to break the rules that other people have written.
The entire lining of your digestive track is replaced every three days.
People usually want to help others when given the chance.
There's a 4th state of water between a solid and a liquid and it's highly viscous like honey. It's called Exclusion Zone (EZ water). It's the type of water that's in our cells. And I guess that when you mix gi (butterfat) it creates EZ water.
The five minute rule is to give yourself 5 minutes to be negative and complain then stop after that.
Porn is the high fructose corn syrup of sex. I'm glad he condemned watching it.
If you don't get enough sunlight in the day (produces serotonin) and then you won't get enough melatonin to help you sleep at night.
Sitting for 6 or 7 hours a day can undo 1 or 2 hours of exercise.
He says that long distance endurance exercise ages the brain. Nope, nope, nope. Wrong there Dave.
Canola oil didn't exist until 1985 and it's the second most used vegetable oil in the US.
Use Olive oil for finished dishes, not for cooking. I don't know why it's bad for cooking.
Vitamin K2 helps heal cavities by keeping calcium in their place. I've always wondered about what people did before dentists, and apparently teeth can heal themselves.
The stem cell transplants (the non ethical kind) seem all neat.
End goals fall into three distinct buckets: things you want to experience, ways you want to grow as a human being, and ways in which you want to contribute to or leave your mark on the world. When you set practical goals for yourself, take the time to consider these end goals.
Life's most important things, aren't things.
Only 10% of empathy is hardwired. The rest is learned.
"Success without fulfillment is the ultimate failure." Tony Robbins
Hahah JP Sears made fun of him and the bulletproof thingy.
Don't hang out with like minded people because they don't help you grow. Hang out with like hearted people because they are accepting of you. So how does that apply to marriage and having similar goals?
I guess back in the Olden Days our ape ancestors had open relationships or something. I don't see how this is. He seems to be for it. But at least he says it's not for everyone.
I guess a long time ago people didn't approve of meditation like how we don't approve of drugs today.
Meditating takes your right brain to the gym.
Shi rin roku- Forrest bathing. I need to do that.
April 3, 2023
I'm a huge fan of Dave Asprey! I've been battling with some health issues for the last 2 years and I've learnt so much from his books - Superhuman, The Bulletproof Diet, Fast This Way, and Head Strong. Game Changers expands on areas touched on in these other books and also takes the reader into whole new directions. It's an incredibly informative read with advice on many areas of health and wellness including nutrition, sex, sleep, priorities in life, meditation and breathwork. Dave introduces expert in these fields, shares fascinating stories about them and summarises their advice. At the end of each section, Dave references books and podcasts, allowing the reader to explore topics of interest in greater detail.
Inspiring and potentially life-changing!
Inspiring and potentially life-changing!
blinkist
May 6, 2019There's nothing you can't do, as long as you use your limited amount of time and energy in a smart way. That's what today's free book on Blinkist is conveying:
Our bodies and minds are held back by unhelpful patterns of thoughts and behaviors, which revolve around food, fear and sex. By understanding how our bodies and minds work, we can overcome these patterns and enhance our ability to generate, preserve and deploy our time and energy. With a clear conception of our goals and by carefully setting our priorities, we’ll be in an optimal position to succeed.
What I liked the most was the advice that not everyone is meant to get up ridiculously early in order to be successful. Not everyone is a lion. There are also wolves, bears, and dolphins, none of whom do particularly well getting up in the middle of the night... So you first need to find out how you can be the most productive, then adapt your schedule.
Another advice that amused me a bit, but that is actually pretty smart, is that you should eat like your grandma. Or rather, like she used to when she was young, pre junk food and super sized portions and unhealthy snacks etc. I kind of like that idea.
Our bodies and minds are held back by unhelpful patterns of thoughts and behaviors, which revolve around food, fear and sex. By understanding how our bodies and minds work, we can overcome these patterns and enhance our ability to generate, preserve and deploy our time and energy. With a clear conception of our goals and by carefully setting our priorities, we’ll be in an optimal position to succeed.
What I liked the most was the advice that not everyone is meant to get up ridiculously early in order to be successful. Not everyone is a lion. There are also wolves, bears, and dolphins, none of whom do particularly well getting up in the middle of the night... So you first need to find out how you can be the most productive, then adapt your schedule.
Another advice that amused me a bit, but that is actually pretty smart, is that you should eat like your grandma. Or rather, like she used to when she was young, pre junk food and super sized portions and unhealthy snacks etc. I kind of like that idea.
June 19, 2021
Если вам по вкусу "Инструменты титанов" Тима Ферриса, эта книга тоже должна понравиться.
Это дайджест основных идей из подкастов автора с известными бизнесменами, учёными, врачами и спортсменами.
В конце каждого параграфа есть рекомендации, какие книги на обсуждаемую тему можно дополнительно прочитать. Добавил несколько в список для чтения.
Это дайджест основных идей из подкастов автора с известными бизнесменами, учёными, врачами и спортсменами.
В конце каждого параграфа есть рекомендации, какие книги на обсуждаемую тему можно дополнительно прочитать. Добавил несколько в список для чтения.
February 15, 2022
Contrary to the title, there is nothing game changing or groundbreaking in this book unfortunately. To be honest, it seems much like old wine in a new bottle. An unnecessarily long winded book with buzz words like "biohacking" which essentially boil down to taking good care of yourself through better nutrition, good quality sleep, meditation , being kind to yourself, positive affirmations, gratitude and focus on relationships. The basis is sound of course. It's just that it is much the same of what has already been covered in so many self help books. It borrows heavily from philosophies like ikigai and kaizen to name a few. Best skimmed through in my opinion.
May 6, 2019
*Blinkist*
Some of the psychological tips sounded useful, to the point that I initially thought I might want to read this book in its entirety, but then the pseudoscience started creeping in and I ultimately couldn’t get past it.
Some of the psychological tips sounded useful, to the point that I initially thought I might want to read this book in its entirety, but then the pseudoscience started creeping in and I ultimately couldn’t get past it.
January 10, 2020
I was planning to give this book four stars right until I got to the chapter about wealth. There are very few things that grind my gears quite as much as a millionaire preaching about how money doesn't buy happiness.
January 8, 2022
Dave's podcast was called "bulletproof radio" running for several years. It has been renamed to and now changed to "Human upgrade". He met world renowned personalities who all are into hacking (including bio hacking ) to get smarter, faster and happier. Each of the laws is based on one of his guests.
You don't have to agree with all the suggestions but there are some good nuggets here.
There are three ways to get better - A. Smarter, B. Faster, and C. Happier
A. Smarter
Chapter 1. FOCUS on your strength not weakness. Learn to say NO.
Chapter 2. Get into the habit of getting smarter. Learning to remember from Jim Kwik.
Chapter 3. Use smart drugs like LSD etc. Not sure I agree with these (but you can read Lifespan for this section). Go to burning man, vipasana, ayahuasca
Chapter 4. Disrupt Fear. Gratitude turns off the fear. let go of hard feelings. Here is the hierarchy and since mind is lazy. It wants to stay at the lower level.
a. happiness and freedom
b. Fear
c. anger and pride
d. sadness
e. apathy and shame
Chapter 5 Even Batman has a bat cave. Take breaks. Morning routines.
B. Faster
Chapter 6 Sex is an altered state. This one is weird, so skip
Chapter 7 Find your nighttime spirit animal. This is anti-consensus thus interesting. Waking up early does not make you a good person. You can be a bear (50% of people), or Lion (early risers ), wolf (late nighter) or dolphin (insomniac ). Try to get adequate sunlight during the day. High quality sleep is better than more sleep. Don't sleep on your back (really?).
Chapter 8. Throw a rock at the rabbit don't chase it. Flexible people kick more ass. try yoga
Chapter 9. You get out what you put in. You normally eat when you feel a lack of love or connection. Don't eat like a caveman eat like your grandma. Don't eat veg oil. Eat lots of vegetables
Consider a viome test. Take vitamin k2
Chapter 10 The future of hacking yourself is now. Oura or fitbit. Get stem cells injections
C. Happier
Chapter 11. Being Rich wont make you happy, but being happy might make you rich. Once your basic needs have been met, more money will not make you happy. If you have secured a nest egg, protect it with your life. Focus on the journey and not the destination.
Chapter 12: Your Community is your environment. Social interaction impacts your brain chemistry. Community leads to happiness. You secrete Oxytocin, when you are with people you like. Create a safety net of people around.
Chapter 13: Reset your programming. MEDITATION. Morning shower with cold water as suggested by Wim Hof
Chapter 14: Get Dirty in the Sun. Go for a hike. Natural sunlight but also consider supplements like D, K2 and A.
Chapter 15: Use Gratitude to Rewire your brain.
Gratitude can turn off the fear. Go something kind daily. Every night before going to the bed, think of three things you are grateful about. Speak in calming, more soothing voice. Forgive, but do not be sorry. Gratitude is like a muscle, exercise it. Like keep a gratitude journal, practice mindfulness, Rethink a negative situation, appreciate actively, Fill a gratitude jar and practice gratitude with loved ones, Take a gratitude walk. Write a thank you note. Practice combining gratitude and forgiveness.
You don't have to agree with all the suggestions but there are some good nuggets here.
There are three ways to get better - A. Smarter, B. Faster, and C. Happier
A. Smarter
Chapter 1. FOCUS on your strength not weakness. Learn to say NO.
Chapter 2. Get into the habit of getting smarter. Learning to remember from Jim Kwik.
Chapter 3. Use smart drugs like LSD etc. Not sure I agree with these (but you can read Lifespan for this section). Go to burning man, vipasana, ayahuasca
Chapter 4. Disrupt Fear. Gratitude turns off the fear. let go of hard feelings. Here is the hierarchy and since mind is lazy. It wants to stay at the lower level.
a. happiness and freedom
b. Fear
c. anger and pride
d. sadness
e. apathy and shame
Chapter 5 Even Batman has a bat cave. Take breaks. Morning routines.
B. Faster
Chapter 6 Sex is an altered state. This one is weird, so skip
Chapter 7 Find your nighttime spirit animal. This is anti-consensus thus interesting. Waking up early does not make you a good person. You can be a bear (50% of people), or Lion (early risers ), wolf (late nighter) or dolphin (insomniac ). Try to get adequate sunlight during the day. High quality sleep is better than more sleep. Don't sleep on your back (really?).
Chapter 8. Throw a rock at the rabbit don't chase it. Flexible people kick more ass. try yoga
Chapter 9. You get out what you put in. You normally eat when you feel a lack of love or connection. Don't eat like a caveman eat like your grandma. Don't eat veg oil. Eat lots of vegetables
Consider a viome test. Take vitamin k2
Chapter 10 The future of hacking yourself is now. Oura or fitbit. Get stem cells injections
C. Happier
Chapter 11. Being Rich wont make you happy, but being happy might make you rich. Once your basic needs have been met, more money will not make you happy. If you have secured a nest egg, protect it with your life. Focus on the journey and not the destination.
Chapter 12: Your Community is your environment. Social interaction impacts your brain chemistry. Community leads to happiness. You secrete Oxytocin, when you are with people you like. Create a safety net of people around.
Chapter 13: Reset your programming. MEDITATION. Morning shower with cold water as suggested by Wim Hof
Chapter 14: Get Dirty in the Sun. Go for a hike. Natural sunlight but also consider supplements like D, K2 and A.
Chapter 15: Use Gratitude to Rewire your brain.
Gratitude can turn off the fear. Go something kind daily. Every night before going to the bed, think of three things you are grateful about. Speak in calming, more soothing voice. Forgive, but do not be sorry. Gratitude is like a muscle, exercise it. Like keep a gratitude journal, practice mindfulness, Rethink a negative situation, appreciate actively, Fill a gratitude jar and practice gratitude with loved ones, Take a gratitude walk. Write a thank you note. Practice combining gratitude and forgiveness.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 1, 2020
Bio hacking in a nutshell
It’s always intriguing to read or listen to anything presented by the father of bio hacking, Dave Asprey. And this book is no different, it is a summary of some of the most important interviews he conducted with experts in different fields on his podcast Bulletproof Radio.
The range of topics are pretty diverse: from the science behind “willpower muscle”, to the “codes” we insert into our supercomputer brain, to neuroplasticity, meta moments, stem cell, minimalism, a super weird chapter on LSD, the 4th state of water after liquid solid and vapour, the importance of recovery, “mindfulness masturbation”, the science behind shamanic medicine, a very useful fear-happiness spectrum, to human zoology (yes that exists).
The book also analyses fluid intelligence and how to raise our memory capability by 40% using scientifically-proven methods, altered state using breathing meditation, the fact that “porn is the high-fructose corn syrup of sex”, why celebrating failures is a great bio hacking tool, why violent criminals have very high level of trace metals in their blood, a simple breathing technique to connect the left and right hemisphere of the brain, all the way to an interview with a dominatrix on BDSM as a flow-state-generating bio hacking tool. Fun!
It’s weird, it’s nuts, but it works, and scientifically proven. I guarantee that your reading experience won’t be a dull one, and you might just learn one or two new tools to hack your life with immediate effect.
It’s always intriguing to read or listen to anything presented by the father of bio hacking, Dave Asprey. And this book is no different, it is a summary of some of the most important interviews he conducted with experts in different fields on his podcast Bulletproof Radio.
The range of topics are pretty diverse: from the science behind “willpower muscle”, to the “codes” we insert into our supercomputer brain, to neuroplasticity, meta moments, stem cell, minimalism, a super weird chapter on LSD, the 4th state of water after liquid solid and vapour, the importance of recovery, “mindfulness masturbation”, the science behind shamanic medicine, a very useful fear-happiness spectrum, to human zoology (yes that exists).
The book also analyses fluid intelligence and how to raise our memory capability by 40% using scientifically-proven methods, altered state using breathing meditation, the fact that “porn is the high-fructose corn syrup of sex”, why celebrating failures is a great bio hacking tool, why violent criminals have very high level of trace metals in their blood, a simple breathing technique to connect the left and right hemisphere of the brain, all the way to an interview with a dominatrix on BDSM as a flow-state-generating bio hacking tool. Fun!
It’s weird, it’s nuts, but it works, and scientifically proven. I guarantee that your reading experience won’t be a dull one, and you might just learn one or two new tools to hack your life with immediate effect.
September 13, 2020
4.5 stars
Best personal development book I have read (not that I am well versed in the genre).
What I liked about it and thought was different from other self help books I have read, is it gives actionable items and actual tips. It also contains lots of well researched information from a variety of studies and leaders in specific fields. I resonated with quite a few sections of the book and have come away with some inspiration.
There is a few parts that are not really my kind of thing and I feel some aspects of the book may be pushing a certain agenda (like grass fed butter) which the studies might support, however there may be research to also support a different agenda.
All that said, I will buy this book as I would really like to take my time to read it and go through each section individually and hopefully implement some parts into my life.
Feeling well and truly motivated!
Best personal development book I have read (not that I am well versed in the genre).
What I liked about it and thought was different from other self help books I have read, is it gives actionable items and actual tips. It also contains lots of well researched information from a variety of studies and leaders in specific fields. I resonated with quite a few sections of the book and have come away with some inspiration.
There is a few parts that are not really my kind of thing and I feel some aspects of the book may be pushing a certain agenda (like grass fed butter) which the studies might support, however there may be research to also support a different agenda.
All that said, I will buy this book as I would really like to take my time to read it and go through each section individually and hopefully implement some parts into my life.
Feeling well and truly motivated!
January 29, 2021
A nice book with lot of new information. Its truly a must read book if you aspire to enhance your performance in a while and be a Better YOU in any manner. I had found most of the chapters very interesting and well structured. The action plan kept at the end portion of each chapter is really helpful. This area of book helps us to conclude the core ideas of that chapter into a nutshell. Recommended listening and reading area is also an asset to the book. As a reader I must say that because of the presence of this area, This Book acts as a doorstep to several hundreds of informative books. If you really like to boost your performance, then this book is for you! You can also read this book if you love to travel into the world of BIO HACKING ☺️. Really a fantastic reading experience. Kudos to the writer and the bulletproof team for making this happen 👍
September 6, 2022
Bio hacking aneb jak cíleně oklamat své tělo a mysl, aby fungovalo v náš prospěch nad přírodní plán. No, jedním z těch tipů, kterým se tedy zrovna úplně řídit neplanuji, ale který asi hned tak z hlavy nevyženu, bylo, že muži mají mít sex co nejčastěji, ale orgasmus právě jednou za 30 dní, zatímco ženy přesně naopak.
March 9, 2019
A well organized book that breaks down everything you could think about and want into actionable steps.
I listened to it on audio, and have since bought the hardcover so that I can go through and take notes and have the book for reference.
I listened to it on audio, and have since bought the hardcover so that I can go through and take notes and have the book for reference.
March 30, 2020
A very sophisticated book but the best chapter was probably the gratitude. It doesn't matter all the content of the book but if you practice gratitude, things start flowing easily and eventually you can have the things you wanted.
August 17, 2020
Guide to immortality /\
November 6, 2019
Thought I was going to read a book only on bio-hacking given the fact that it’s Dave Asprey, but I’m super glad it threw in other topics too
10/10 would recommend-siezz.
10/10 would recommend-siezz.
June 27, 2024
I've read this book as a Blinkist book summary ...so the review is based on this summary, not on the full work and therefore there are limitations in both the summary and my review of the summary. But I came away thinking that it was really a bit of journalistic hacking. Interview a few people who have been successful in life and who seem to be mavericks and make a book out of it. What's missing from here is the interviews with all the mavericks who did the same sort of things but who fell by the wayside and were never heard of again.
And the are some pretty strange things here ....like limit your sex life to one orgasm a week (for men). And it's strange but the more of these sort of "self-help" books I read, the more of the same stuff seems to keep coming up: like eat well (the mediterranean diet). Exercise, Get a good night's sleep. ... Ok all good advice but I probably only need to read one self-help book that says this and throw the rest away.
Anyway, here are some extracts that caught my eye in the Blinkist summary: Learn the secrets of biohacking.....Your body and mind are interrelated aspects of a single, overall whole, which is ultimately rooted in your biology. By intentionally manipulating that biology, you can bring your body and mind into better harmony with each other and your goals. Biohacking is the practice of doing just that......The principles are built on an understanding of human biology and psychology, while the applications are derived from interviews the author, Dave Asprey, conducted with 450 highly successful individuals. [What about the interviews with those who were unsuccessful?]
Biohacking enables you to update and adjust your mental and physical operating system.
Why bother with biohacking in the first place?....Well, the short answer is that your body and mind’s operating system is outdated. It was built around the needs of our prehistoric ancestors, who evolved in a world much more hostile than ours your nervous system [evolved] to keep you focused on the three fundamental factors of a species’ survival. We can call them the three Fs–fear, food and, for the sake of politeness, let’s call it “fornication.”
We spend much of our time chasing after power, money and physical attractiveness. Why? Largely because they help us secure safety, food and sexual partners......Meanwhile, our powerful urges to seek out safety, food and sex can lead us by the nose, taking us away from our goals.....The point isn’t to renounce food, sex or safety. It’s to take control of our automatic thoughts and behaviours around them, putting our more rational selves in the driver’s seat.
To truly benefit from biohacking, you need to know your goals.
First, identify your true passions in life. These are the things you love doing so much that you feel excited just thinking about them.....This brings us to the next tactic, which begins with distinguishing between your means goals and your end goals.
Your means goals are the things you want to achieve in order to achieve something else.
We have an unfortunate tendency to become overly fixated on means goals, like making money.
To achieve your goals with biohacking: prioritize and avoid decision fatigue.
None of those decisions are necessarily overwhelming in and of themselves, but cumulatively they take a toll and leave you increasingly exhausted as the day progresses. That’s decision fatigue.
The simplest way to avoid it is to minimize the number of decisions you have to make each day. And the easiest way to do that is to automate as many tasks as possible
For instance, creating a capsule diet. This is a collection of five or six healthy meals that you cycle through. That way, you can avoid having to make all the decisions involved in planning meals.
Taking charge of your diet requires you to overcome emotional eating.
Taking charge of your diet requires you to overcome emotional eating.
Out of all of the high-performance individuals the author interviewed, more than 75 percent of them said their diet was the most crucial factor behind their performance levels.
This is part of a larger phenomenon called emotional eating. This is when we habitually seek out food when we’re feeling sad, stressed, angry, bored or even joyful.
For a healthier approach to food, identify your emotional eating triggers and eat like your grandma.
Correlation doesn’t necessarily mean causation, of course, but if there’s a consistent pattern of overlap between your hunger and certain emotional states, then there’s a reason to be suspicious of that hunger.....What did grandma eat? Lots of vegetables, plenty of protein-rich foods and a daily tablespoon of fish oil.....And how did grandma eat? Moderately and infrequently.
To get a good night’s sleep, identify your chronotype and adjust your sleep schedule accordingly.
The key to biohacking your sleep is to identify your natural sleep pattern and adjust your sleep schedule accordingly.....So, which chronotype are you? One way to find out is to use your next vacation week as an opportunity to conduct a little experiment. Simply let yourself go to bed and wake up when your body feels like it.
To benefit from exercise, you need to counteract its shortcomings and drawbacks....First, if you think that all you need to do is exercise a little each day, without making other lifestyle adjustments, you could end up being a mostly sedentary person who happens to do intense movements from time to time. In fact, a six-hour bout of sitting can negate the benefits of a one-hour workout........[I missed the second} Third, aerobic exercise leads our bodies to produce the stress hormone cortisol. This, in turn, triggers the creation of oxidative substances that make us age faster and cause inflammation.........to avoid sitting too much, invest in a standing desk. To learn how to move your body properly, consider working with a functional movement coach. And, finally, to counteract the negative effects of aerobic exercise, add strength training to your workout routine.
To preserve more energy for higher pursuits, minimize the amount you use for sex......From an evolutionary standpoint, it makes sense that we would put so much energy into sex......your energy is a finite resource. The more of it you allocate to sex, the less of it you’ll have to allocate to other aspects of your life.......you can sublimate–that is, re-channel–your sex-bound energy into higher pursuits, like creative projects, you’ll have more energy to devote to them......To minimize the effects of orgasms on men and maximize their effects on women, the author recommends that men limit themselves to one orgasm per week and that women seek out more frequent orgasms–at least two per week.
Fear is one of the biggest obstacles to success........Finally, we come to the third F–fear.......we feel a lot more fear than is warranted by our present conditions. Fear triggers stress, which in turn drains our energy and eventually leads us to feel burned out.
Second, fear takes us out of the present moment. That’s because fear is usually about something negative that might happen in the future,
Third, fear discourages us from taking the risks that lead to success.
You can overcome fear by giving yourself safety cues.
Fight your fear in two ways at once by doing a guided meditation. The calm voice of the instructor will send a signal to your subconscious that everything’s okay, while the meditation itself will bring your mind back into the present–away from worries of the future, where fears tend to lurk.......Another cue to try is to visualize yourself in a happy place.
Finally, try to feel gratitude for as many things, people and events in your life as possible–even your failures, which you can reinterpret as helpful learning experiences.
keep a journal in which you write down three things for which you’re grateful every morning,
Final summary
The key message in these blinks: Our bodies and minds are held back by unhelpful patterns of thoughts and behaviours, which revolve around food, fear and sex. By understanding how our bodies and minds work, we can overcome these patterns and enhance our ability to generate, preserve and deploy our time and energy. With a clear conception of our goals and by carefully setting our priorities, we’ll be in an optimal position to succeed.
Actionable advice: Stop using the word “can’t.”
When you say you can’t do something, what you really mean is that you don’t have the resources, the skills, the confidence or some other prerequisite for doing it. And that condition can be overcome.
Ok there are some sensible suggestions here but I didn't get the impression that any one of these things was anything other that normal sensible living and was not the sort of things that mavericks did to shake the world up. In fact Kepler, who did shake the world up was an unhealthy, borderline nut case. Isaac Newton, similarly....though not sure about the health side. He certainly didn't have many friends.
Anyway, the bottom line for me is that I'm not rushing out to buy and read the full original book. Two stars from me.
And the are some pretty strange things here ....like limit your sex life to one orgasm a week (for men). And it's strange but the more of these sort of "self-help" books I read, the more of the same stuff seems to keep coming up: like eat well (the mediterranean diet). Exercise, Get a good night's sleep. ... Ok all good advice but I probably only need to read one self-help book that says this and throw the rest away.
Anyway, here are some extracts that caught my eye in the Blinkist summary: Learn the secrets of biohacking.....Your body and mind are interrelated aspects of a single, overall whole, which is ultimately rooted in your biology. By intentionally manipulating that biology, you can bring your body and mind into better harmony with each other and your goals. Biohacking is the practice of doing just that......The principles are built on an understanding of human biology and psychology, while the applications are derived from interviews the author, Dave Asprey, conducted with 450 highly successful individuals. [What about the interviews with those who were unsuccessful?]
Biohacking enables you to update and adjust your mental and physical operating system.
Why bother with biohacking in the first place?....Well, the short answer is that your body and mind’s operating system is outdated. It was built around the needs of our prehistoric ancestors, who evolved in a world much more hostile than ours your nervous system [evolved] to keep you focused on the three fundamental factors of a species’ survival. We can call them the three Fs–fear, food and, for the sake of politeness, let’s call it “fornication.”
We spend much of our time chasing after power, money and physical attractiveness. Why? Largely because they help us secure safety, food and sexual partners......Meanwhile, our powerful urges to seek out safety, food and sex can lead us by the nose, taking us away from our goals.....The point isn’t to renounce food, sex or safety. It’s to take control of our automatic thoughts and behaviours around them, putting our more rational selves in the driver’s seat.
To truly benefit from biohacking, you need to know your goals.
First, identify your true passions in life. These are the things you love doing so much that you feel excited just thinking about them.....This brings us to the next tactic, which begins with distinguishing between your means goals and your end goals.
Your means goals are the things you want to achieve in order to achieve something else.
We have an unfortunate tendency to become overly fixated on means goals, like making money.
To achieve your goals with biohacking: prioritize and avoid decision fatigue.
None of those decisions are necessarily overwhelming in and of themselves, but cumulatively they take a toll and leave you increasingly exhausted as the day progresses. That’s decision fatigue.
The simplest way to avoid it is to minimize the number of decisions you have to make each day. And the easiest way to do that is to automate as many tasks as possible
For instance, creating a capsule diet. This is a collection of five or six healthy meals that you cycle through. That way, you can avoid having to make all the decisions involved in planning meals.
Taking charge of your diet requires you to overcome emotional eating.
Taking charge of your diet requires you to overcome emotional eating.
Out of all of the high-performance individuals the author interviewed, more than 75 percent of them said their diet was the most crucial factor behind their performance levels.
This is part of a larger phenomenon called emotional eating. This is when we habitually seek out food when we’re feeling sad, stressed, angry, bored or even joyful.
For a healthier approach to food, identify your emotional eating triggers and eat like your grandma.
Correlation doesn’t necessarily mean causation, of course, but if there’s a consistent pattern of overlap between your hunger and certain emotional states, then there’s a reason to be suspicious of that hunger.....What did grandma eat? Lots of vegetables, plenty of protein-rich foods and a daily tablespoon of fish oil.....And how did grandma eat? Moderately and infrequently.
To get a good night’s sleep, identify your chronotype and adjust your sleep schedule accordingly.
The key to biohacking your sleep is to identify your natural sleep pattern and adjust your sleep schedule accordingly.....So, which chronotype are you? One way to find out is to use your next vacation week as an opportunity to conduct a little experiment. Simply let yourself go to bed and wake up when your body feels like it.
To benefit from exercise, you need to counteract its shortcomings and drawbacks....First, if you think that all you need to do is exercise a little each day, without making other lifestyle adjustments, you could end up being a mostly sedentary person who happens to do intense movements from time to time. In fact, a six-hour bout of sitting can negate the benefits of a one-hour workout........[I missed the second} Third, aerobic exercise leads our bodies to produce the stress hormone cortisol. This, in turn, triggers the creation of oxidative substances that make us age faster and cause inflammation.........to avoid sitting too much, invest in a standing desk. To learn how to move your body properly, consider working with a functional movement coach. And, finally, to counteract the negative effects of aerobic exercise, add strength training to your workout routine.
To preserve more energy for higher pursuits, minimize the amount you use for sex......From an evolutionary standpoint, it makes sense that we would put so much energy into sex......your energy is a finite resource. The more of it you allocate to sex, the less of it you’ll have to allocate to other aspects of your life.......you can sublimate–that is, re-channel–your sex-bound energy into higher pursuits, like creative projects, you’ll have more energy to devote to them......To minimize the effects of orgasms on men and maximize their effects on women, the author recommends that men limit themselves to one orgasm per week and that women seek out more frequent orgasms–at least two per week.
Fear is one of the biggest obstacles to success........Finally, we come to the third F–fear.......we feel a lot more fear than is warranted by our present conditions. Fear triggers stress, which in turn drains our energy and eventually leads us to feel burned out.
Second, fear takes us out of the present moment. That’s because fear is usually about something negative that might happen in the future,
Third, fear discourages us from taking the risks that lead to success.
You can overcome fear by giving yourself safety cues.
Fight your fear in two ways at once by doing a guided meditation. The calm voice of the instructor will send a signal to your subconscious that everything’s okay, while the meditation itself will bring your mind back into the present–away from worries of the future, where fears tend to lurk.......Another cue to try is to visualize yourself in a happy place.
Finally, try to feel gratitude for as many things, people and events in your life as possible–even your failures, which you can reinterpret as helpful learning experiences.
keep a journal in which you write down three things for which you’re grateful every morning,
Final summary
The key message in these blinks: Our bodies and minds are held back by unhelpful patterns of thoughts and behaviours, which revolve around food, fear and sex. By understanding how our bodies and minds work, we can overcome these patterns and enhance our ability to generate, preserve and deploy our time and energy. With a clear conception of our goals and by carefully setting our priorities, we’ll be in an optimal position to succeed.
Actionable advice: Stop using the word “can’t.”
When you say you can’t do something, what you really mean is that you don’t have the resources, the skills, the confidence or some other prerequisite for doing it. And that condition can be overcome.
Ok there are some sensible suggestions here but I didn't get the impression that any one of these things was anything other that normal sensible living and was not the sort of things that mavericks did to shake the world up. In fact Kepler, who did shake the world up was an unhealthy, borderline nut case. Isaac Newton, similarly....though not sure about the health side. He certainly didn't have many friends.
Anyway, the bottom line for me is that I'm not rushing out to buy and read the full original book. Two stars from me.
July 8, 2021
Ухудшенная версия Тима Ферриса. В первую очередь тем, что многие советы выглядят сомнительными. Автор кажется слишком сконцентрированным на самовосхвалении и вызывает меньше доверия
January 17, 2019
I became more aware of my well-being and habits, a few points I am trying/ would like to try, but some I never will e.g. 'smart drugs'. Finished the first two sections 'smarter' and 'faster', but 'happier' I skipped coz I've read enough of that.
P.S. doubt the creditibility/ effectiveness of some of the tips, e.g. the smart drugs suggested lack sci evidence. See if author will live to 180 yo as he said?
P.S. doubt the creditibility/ effectiveness of some of the tips, e.g. the smart drugs suggested lack sci evidence. See if author will live to 180 yo as he said?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 19, 2019
I've read most of Dave Asprey's books and try to getting in some form of Bulletproof coffee occasionally. I love the life hacks available at your finger tips, plus the various case studies for each hack allows you to better understand how you could implement them in your own life.
I don't have access to all his products, but thats fine - its a life hack, so you can tweak accordingly and gradually improve on it.
I don't have access to all his products, but thats fine - its a life hack, so you can tweak accordingly and gradually improve on it.
May 3, 2019
Don't read this book if you aren't willing to spend money on the loads of supplements, performance enhancers, and sleep hacks recommended by Asprey in this book. By the end of each chapter you'll have five new items in your cart on Amazon, some of which are created by the company Asprey owns. However, I will say that this is a good book and probably the best I've read in regards to 'bio-hacking' / self-optimization, so I would recommend it to anyone who wishes to delve into the subject.
December 30, 2018
Not a ton of new stuff if you're already familiar with Dave's work, but an excellent launching point/summary of stuff to review.
March 14, 2019
Very self serving book. Bulletproof is promoted throughout as well as the use of LSD, hallucinogens and other drugs.
Many of the stories are in other books. This one is not worth your time.
Many of the stories are in other books. This one is not worth your time.
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