Smarter Not Harder: The Biohacker's Guide to Getting the Body and Mind You Want

by Dave Asprey

World-renowned biohacker and bestselling author Dave Asprey reveals how to maximize your well-being with the minimum effort, by taking control of your body's operating system If you want to lose weight, boost your energy, or sharpen your mind, there are shelves of books offering myriad styles of advice. If you want to build up your strength and cardio fitness, there are plenty of gyms and trainers ready to offer you their guidance. What all of these resources have in common is they offer you a bad a lot of effort for a little payoff. Dave Asprey has found a better way. In  Smarter Not Harder , the proven master of biohacking exposes the surprising secrets of your body's operating system, or its "MeatOS." That system is naturally designed to be lazy, which is why sweaty exercise routines and rigid diets produce such limited effects. Dave shows us how to hack the MeatOS and make it do what  we  want it to do, turning it from obstacle into ally. The key to achieving optimum wellness, he reveals, isn't about doing more, it's about doing less--exercising and eating smarter, not harder, and making the body's built in laziness work for you. Smarter Not Harder  is not a diet nor a fitness plan. It is a system of targeted biohacks aimed at upgrading your metabolic, neurological, and epigenetic systems. Packed with practical, accessible information on better eating; smart workouts that give you more strength and energy in less time; and strategic therapies to reduce stress and boost resilience-- Smarter Not Harder  will show you how to achieve lasting health in less time.

Genres: Health, Nonfiction, Self Help, Science, Personal Development, Audiobook, Food

9 pages, Audio CD

First published February 28, 2023

About the author

Dave 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.

Reviews

[Sofija Kryž · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dnf. Good premise, but those two chapters I listened through are full of unsubstantiated, unfounded claims. What's the worst - on health. Although the author does promote healthy things - excercise, quality nutrition, the book is lacking medical/scientific proofreading. Could not make myself carry on reading - superficial and promotes someone's personal ideology rather than facts.

[Sasa Soso · Rating 3 out of 5]

1-reduce phytic acid
2-limit fish
3-fat-soluble vitamins
4-minerals. Calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, phosphorus, sulphur, and iron are the main ones, but you also need trace minerals, too, such as zinc, iodine, cobolt, and copper. 
5-Supplements include vitamins; herbs and spices; prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics; energy supplements; and minerals.
6-use weights and cables and Nautilus-style machines. Focus on rapid exhausthion
7-isometric exerciseas
8-resistance bands.
9-bikes
10-high-intensity interval training
11-vocal vibration
12-Rebounding
13-holding your breath
14-neurofeedback devices
15- “binaural beats” on YouTube
16-vision exercises
17-sleep
18-15 to 20 minutes per day directly on your skin.
19-herbs. Use ashwagandha, ginseng, and Rhodiola to resist stress.
20-sauna three times each week for 20 minutes.
21-kindness and forgiveness
22-gratitude-breathing
23-acceptance

[Alli Dahl · Rating 1 out of 5]

I made it about 20% of the way through and did not finish. For a book that is supposed to try to make health “easier “ it did about the opposite of that and became overwhelming of things “not” to eat , things you think are healthy like chicken and nuts are a no go. Was not for me.

[GiGi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audiobook review.

Interesting and scary. I feel the tips on this book are mostly unrealistic, too expensive, inaccessible.

[Siobhan Jackson · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm fuming I wasted 3.99 on this. It's dangerous that such misleading crap has been allowed to be put out there 🤦‍♀️ it's too opinionated and very much lacking in scientific evidence. It's like he thinks that using big words will trick us in to believing him. I couldn't bear to finish it. I'm impressed I stuck it out for 3 chapters.

[Rockwell · Rating 1 out of 5]

I do not believe any of the advice this book says. The first section discusses diet by saying every common food knowledge is wrong and telling you to remove a large number of commonly enjoyed foods. I would not recommend this book to anyone

[Synthia Salomon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Your body is designed specifically for the perpetuation of the species. To do that, you must survive. So your body’s main objective is not to die and to use as little energy as possible to achieve that. Indeed, Asprey says, every cell in your body is programmed to do as little as possible.

[Craig Carignan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not very practical advise for most of us.

[Charles Reed · Rating 3 out of 5]

63%

A ridiculous unbacked by scientific evidence book on pseudoscience, thank fucking god he doesn't tell people to take his word for it, utter rubbish.

Some things I cross-referenced for validity and piqued my interest but a lot of 'take my word for it because I don't have evidence' shenanigans.

[Kathleen Malaspina · Rating 1 out of 5]

I couldn’t finish the book. It was like listening to a podcast interview with Joe Rogan. No thanks. And ‘MeatOS’, who is his editor? Not for me.

[Povilas Krikščiūnas · Rating 1 out of 5]

I dropped this book after reading the first half, because i could not bare to listen to the author’s bizzaar scaremongering combined with shameless self-promotion of his products, sprinkled with righteous explanations of well-known theories.
The book started off talking about nutrition, where the author basically tries to scare the readers that they’re eating poison and slowly destroying their bodies. For example, the author starts with a claim that Omega6 is immobilizing our brains and putting our bodies into hibernation mode, stating that babies get no Omega6 and they’re fine, right? Well, after 10 minutes of scaremongering the author finally admits that “of course, you should still get some Omega6 in your diet, but stay away from junk food”. Wow, thanks, noted!
A similar pattern follows in the exercise section. Did you know that most people don’t exercise hard enough because gazelles shake after running away from lions? But also you’re exercising too hard, because you should avoid burnout and injuries. But also even if you’re injured it might just all be in your mind. But also you probably got injured, because you forgot to first practice proper form. So, eat right, get enough sleep, don’t burnout, but also challenge yourself. Brilliant!
When the author got into the section about changing your brain with yet another one of his devices that he promotes in the book, i knew i had to stop there.
I saw the next section was about AI and machine learning, i’m sure the author is also a world-renowned expert on that as well, but i’ll pass this time, thanks!

[Shelby Gee · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s not bad, it just falls flat. It reads like an update to his book Super Human with an intro and conclusion pieced on to make it a book. Only worth reading it you want those updates (and you can just skip the intro and conclusion). If you’ve not read his other books this one should not be your starting point.

[Jung]

Become better than normal

Dave Asprey wants to be better than normal. He wants to help you be better than normal, too. He wants you to be inspired, become a risk-taker, pursue your dreams, and be unpredictable.

To achieve all that, you’ll require energy and resilience. Paradoxically, you’ll also need to be lazy. Yes, that’s right! Your laziness will actually make you stronger.

In this book Smarter Not Harder, you’ll discover exactly how that works. You’ll also get a primer on what exactly biohacking is and a few accessible and midlevel hacks to get you started.

Feeling lazy? Then let’s begin – slowly.

A word of caution: In this book, we’ll present Asprey’s views as he gives them. But before you make any drastic changes to your diet, exercise routine, or health regimen you should always consult with your physician.

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Biohacking 101

Your body is designed specifically for the perpetuation of the species. To do that, you must survive. So your body’s main objective is not to die and to use as little energy as possible to achieve that. Indeed, Asprey says, every cell in your body is programmed to do as little as possible.

This is part of what he calls your meat operating system, or MeatOS. Just like the operating system of a computer, this runs in the background, keeping you going on autopilot. It’s the code that, among other things, instructs your liver to break down alcohol after a tequila shot, keeps you breathing, and keeps your eyes blinking. It remains invisible, unless it’s broken.

Just as you can hack a computer, you can also hack your MeatOS to get the results you want with less effort. This is at the heart of the smarter-not-harder approach. You get to be in charge of your own code rather than the other way around.

The first thing to do is stop looking for quick-fix solutions and play the long game instead. Stop with the 30-day rapid-weight-loss diets and maximum-suck gym workouts. Embrace your inner laziness by finding hacks that give you the best results. But before you consider hacking, you need to establish a good diet to optimize your energy supply.

First, you need to rid your diet of what Asprey calls antinutrients – both natural and man-made chemicals that interfere with the absorption of nutrients and minerals from your food. The number-one culprit, he says, is phytic acid. This is found in many plant-based processed foods, and also in nuts, seeds, beans, legumes, wholegrains, soy, and corn – yep, all those things that others say are good for both you and the environment. Reduce your intake. And what about meat? Asprey recommends you avoid factory-farmed chicken, limit your exposure to pork, and cut out meat substitutes. Limit how much fish you eat, too.

Next, make sure you’re getting enough of the fat-soluble vitamins – D, A, K, and E – as most people eating a standard diet fall short of the recommended amounts. Then, do the same with minerals. Calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, phosphorus, sulphur, and iron are the main ones, but you also need trace minerals, too, such as zinc, iodine, cobolt, and copper.

Of course, you also need to eat the right amounts of saturated fats, protein, fiber, and carbohydrates.

Finally, if you want to optimize your diet, use supplements. Unfortunately, our modern lifestyles mean you simply won’t get enough of what you need from your diet alone. Supplements include vitamins; herbs and spices; prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics; energy supplements; and minerals.

Ensure you’re getting the quantities you need of all these, and you’ll have set the groundwork.

-

Choose your target

If you seriously want to improve yourself, you have to know what it is you really want and then set yourself targets. Asprey’s experience shows that most people want some combination of just five qualities: more strength; greater cardiovascular fitness; improved energy level and metabolism; enhanced brain function; and reduced stress and easier recovery.

But what about greater longevity, better sexual function, and weight loss? Well, all these are automatically “fixed” when you sort out the other five. And when you improve one of these five foundations, over time, the others also adapt.

A good order for biohacking would be to start with energy, then your brain, followed by strength, stress, and cardio. But your own order will depend on what matters most to you right now, so feel free to change the order to suit you.

In the next sections, let’s dive into some hacks for each of the fundamental qualities people want.

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Becoming stronger and improving cardiovascular fitness

Go to the gym, lift some stuff, run away from some stuff, do more of it, drink protein powder afterward, get stronger and faster. It works, right? Well, unfortunately not. Fighting your body’s innate laziness isn’t the way to go. So what is?

Your body has sensors called proprioceptors. These movement, action, and location sensors take care of you – they make sure you’re not overexerting yourself. But unfortunately, they also work with your brain to set false limits on your capability. They fool you into thinking you have less strength and energy than you really do. So you need to find a way to outsmart those sensors without harming yourself. Here are a couple hacks to do that:

First, use weights and cables and Nautilus-style machines. Focus on rapid exhaustion using heavy weights and keeping good form. Take a minimum of ten seconds to lower the weights. Do reps with no breaks until you’re exhausted.

Second, do isometric exercises such as holding your body in a plank. You won’t get rapid gains, but they’re effective in short bursts.

And for something more challenging, use resistance bands. Using these results in faster exhaustion of your muscles. The result? Your muscles grow three times as quickly as when you lift weights.

When it comes to cardio, stop with the treadmill and exercise bikes! They might be better than not doing any exercise, but that’s about all. Instead, start doing varying-intensity interval training. Put simply, bike or run hard for one to two minutes, switch to medium intensity for a few minutes, and then switch down to very, very low intensity. Wait until your heart rate returns to the level it was before you started your workout, and then repeat for four to five rounds.

For something more challenging, try high-intensity interval training. Start by going to a park and walking – slowly, very slowly. Then, sprint at full speed for 30 seconds. Then go back to the slow walking until your heart rate returns to normal. Then, another 30-second sprint. Repeat for around 20 minutes. Use the walking period to meditate. Better still, lie down on the ground instead of slow-walking; your heart won’t have to work so hard getting the blood back from your legs.

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Improving your energy level and metabolism

Your energy level comes from converting air and food into electricity. The better you are at that, the more strength you’ll have – and better cardio performance, too.

To achieve higher energy levels, your MeatOS needs to think you are dealing with some kind of hardship. When this happens, your cells increase the rate of mitogenesis, creating new mitochondria, the “powerhouses of your cells,” and mitophagy, which destroys weak and inefficient mitochondria. Let’s see how:

First, you can use vibration hacks. Whole-body vibration oxygenates parts of your body that usually get little oxygen. It also tricks your body into thinking it’s doing more than it actually is. Start with something very simple like vocal vibration. Sit down, take a deep breath, and say “Ohmmmm.” The vibrations make your whole body hum. Rebounding takes this up a notch. A rebounder is a little trampoline that you can jump up and down on moving all the tissues in your body. And moving up a little more, you can use spot vibration – these can have profound effects on your nervous system and can also aid in achieving faster recovery.

Second, controlling your breathing can send powerful signals to your MeatOS that it needs to change how it operates. You can put yourself into a state of controlled hypoxia – where your body doesn’t have enough oxygen, or at least thinks it doesn’t. At its extremes, hypoxia can be fatal. But when it’s controlled, it can increase the efficiency of your metabolism. You can do this simply by holding your breath. This is perfectly safe as your physiology ensures you can’t reach unconsciousness. Holding your breath can promote angiogenesis – new blood vessel formation. Additionally, it can strengthen your mitochondria and improve your blood flow through capillary dilation.

Following these techniques will soon shift “energy” from your waistline into everything else in your life.

-

Enhance your brain and sensory functions

When a gorilla is first introduced to a mirror – and yes, scientists have done this – it freezes for a moment, thinks, and then realizes that it’s seeing itself. Then, with this new perspective on itself, it might even begin to pick at a leaf stuck between its teeth, using the mirror for guidance.

Why is this relevant? Well, your brain is a little bit like the gorilla. It has little self-awareness because its sensors look outward. It monitors what’s around you and doesn’t think about self-improvement. But if you know how to hack your brain, it will adapt, optimize itself, grow, and evolve. So let’s check a few ways you can do that:

First, you can use home neurofeedback devices. These use electroencephalography, or EEG, to read your brain waves. You can use these to help train your brain to shift into different mental states or to remain calm.

Then, you can use direct nerve hacks, in particular of your vagus nerve which runs from your brain, down your neck, and to your gut. It’s responsible for your fight-or-flight response, among other things. You can buy devices that stimulate your vagus nerve to give you feelings of calm and relaxation, tone down stress and anxiety, reduce migraines and other pain, and also improve sleep.

Sonic feedback is a way of producing targeted sound stimulation, as your ears have a direct pathway to your brain. You can try this for free by finding “binaural beats” on YouTube. This can help your brain become sharper.

You could also benefit from vision exercises. Try this one: Look at a distant horizon at least every morning and evening – preferably every hour throughout the day. Then look back and forth between the horizon and something in front of you – 15 seconds of each, repeated for at least three minutes. This will strengthen your eyes and decrease the chances of vision problems.

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Reduce your stress and recover more easily

Reducing stress in your life might need to be your number-one goal. If you’re carrying too much stress, it’s a detox that you need, not a workout. So let’s look at some hacks to help you lower your stress levels.

First: sleep. It keeps coming up everywhere, doesn’t it? There’s a reason for that. During sleep your cells receive instructions to repair and regrow, so when you sleep well, that process is enhanced. To help you sleep better, dim your lights at night, use black-out curtains, switch off your devices a full two hours before bed, and increase the warm light on your phone. Don’t eat for at least two hours before bed either. Daily meditation will also help.

Second: sunlight. Sunlight stimulates your production of vitamin D and serotonin, which improves your mood. Go out in the sun late morning or early afternoon to get the best effects. Asprey recommends a minimum of 15 to 20 minutes per day directly on your skin.

Third: herbs. Use ashwagandha, ginseng, and Rhodiola to resist stress. For most people, they’re safe to use on a regular basis. Talk to your doctor first, though, if you’re taking any kind of medication.

Fourth: saunas. These help you recover at a faster rate, and you also get a detox through sweating. Start slowly with five-to-10-minute sessions, building up to having a sauna three times each week for 20 minutes.

So to sum up: slow down, take some sunlight, sleep better, and go to the sauna, and you’ll begin to see some improvements in your stress levels.

-

Spiritual growth

So you now know how to hack the fundamentals – strength, cardio, energy, brain, and stress. But if you want to go farther toward being your best self, you also need to rebuild your spirit in order to be in total control of your MeatOS.

It’s essential that you have your energy up and the fundamentals in place before you try spiritual biohacking. Asprey offers three steps for spiritual recovery, by which he means the antidote to being spiritually stressed. Spiritual stress can result from breaking up with your partner, losing your job, or when there’s a bad accident, for example. You’re shaken, and you need to detox. Here’s how:

Step one: kindness and forgiveness. Your MeatOS works to keep you safe. Often this means being selfish, mean, and unkind. To turn that around and create automatic kindness, you have to forgive – and mean it. Forgiving means letting go so that you no longer react. The automatic unkind response is removed from your OS – permanently.

Step two: spiritual reset. Letting go is only the first step. Next, you need something to hold on to – and that something is gratitude and a spiritual reset. Sit with your eyes closed and take a few deep breaths. Think of a memory that triggers you. Remember it exactly as it was and imagine the person or people from the memory sitting opposite you. Tell them outloud what it is they did to you. Feel the hurt and pain. Next, find the gratitude: What good came out of the situation? Put yourself in the other people’s shoes. What was the situation like for them? Now think about it from both perspectives simultaneously. When you do this, say out loud, “I forgive you.”

Step three: acceptance. For this step, you need a neutral infallible “person.”As Asprey says, this is not an actual living person. You could make it Jesus, Buddha, or even an infallible lightbulb! Ask that person if your forgiveness is complete. A clear yes, and it’s over. If not, go back to the situation and try again. Keep doing this until you have no more reactivity.

When you’re no longer triggered by something, you’ll have more energy and freedom. You’ll feel more attuned to the universe. You won’t need technology or data to confirm this – you’ll simply know.

-

We’ve covered a few fundamental biohacks along the way and you’ve seen how “smarter not harder” works to overcome your inherent laziness. But how will you know if you’re improving? By measuring your performance against specific targets.

For example, when it comes to cardio, how is your resting heart rate? For strength, has your one-rep maximum increased? You’ll know whether you have more energy or not simply from how you feel. For your brain, how do you perform in memory and reaction-time tests? And finally, for stress, check your heart rate variability using a home monitor.

And what about those other factors that should be improving? When it comes to sex, ask yourself and your partner! It is, of course, impossible to assess your longevity. but you can get an idea simply by looking in the mirror at how well you’re aging, or you could get a DNA methylation test to measure your epigenetic age.

Finally, don’t forget to find what works for you and personalize your hacks. Make sure you keep improving continuously. Don’t be satisfied with your new baselines – you’ll always have room for improvement.

[Melissa R · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok so after I got past the fact that this man actually said “don’t be like me and waste $1 million on trying to be healthy” as if that is a relatable thing, I got a lot out of this book.

TW the author does fat shame himself.

I personally am very easily able to separate the author from the information, but I could see how this tech bro could turn people off to the info he’s trying to share.

The information in the book is itself extremely valuable, especially how easy to understand the information about vitamins and minerals is. I’ve incorporated so many vitamins and mineral supplements that I wasn’t previously taking, particularly ashwaganda which I took for 3 months and has made a significant difference with my anxiety. I’ve also incorporated some of the biohacking suggestions in my every day life.

I enjoyed the way the book is organized. First it’s about basics with vitamins and minerals, then it goes into biohacking suggestions for specific goals you may have.

Overall I got a lot out of this book as someone who was looking for more information about how to simplify my health and wellness goals.

Yes, he talks about some things that are financially out of 99% of readers reach, but he does also include free or affordable suggestions in each biohacking section of the book.

[Ash Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and the breadth of insight regarding all the ways to hack yourself into better health. The reality for me is that most of these hacks are really not accessible but I don’t think that diminishes their value. I’m glad to know all the variety of resources and options even if I can’t afford them or facilities/equipment isn’t near me, maybe one day something in particular will be worth the investment (or I’ll win the lottery).
The foundational pieces of advice regarding diet, basic supplementation, and sleep are generally easy to implement and accessible to everyone and I think several times it’s emphasized those are necessary before considering the other more lofty hacks. Some of the concepts have very little discussion or rationale, but to fully explain everything in detail would have taken WAY too many pages with the breadth of content included, so I appreciate the information and can do additional research on things I want to implement (you probably shouldn’t take supplement advice from a single book as a source no matter what) without having to drag through a book that reads like a series of research papers.

[Wan Shoo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Captivating and totally mind-blowing! Such different ways in improving yourself, physically, mentally and spiritually. The author offers heartfelt advice and precautions for each method. This book is not all about hard core facts about nutrition , it also incorporated a softer side of spirituality. Take in what you learn and devise your own plan that best suits you!

[Stinne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good book! As someone who has been into biohacking since 2013, I still had things to learn, but I also had great acknowledgment to the things I do. And the gadgets I own.
I will definitely recommend it. And I will reread it.

[Luke Lawson · Rating 2 out of 5]

80% snake oil, 20% real advice. I'm pretty sure he only gets to the 20% valid advice due to spewing so many talking points. Pretty much every major battleground in nutrition is referenced in this book: seed oils, raw milk, saturated fats, animal protein, soy, supplements, etc. There are some more scientifically backed claims like the harms of Glyphosate (RoundUp) and other practices in industrial farming, as well as some interesting food for though around vitamin and minerals, their importance, and how the modern food landscape has changed with respect to them. My fundamental issue, however, is not his stance on a given topic in nutrition - it's the severe lack of quality evidence he provides for any of it. There are references scattered throughout the book (20 pages of references at the end in fact), but the amount of evidence required to support the sheer number of claims and recommendations in the book would result in a book many times the size of this one. In my mind it's not sufficient to reference a single (likely biased) study of a particular herb, and feel confident enough to parade it's benefits. Whether it is helpful or not in reality is irrelevant, the real point is what standard of evidence you require in order to make a claim - and throughout the whole book it's extremely low.

Moving past nutrition, Asprey has compiled a list of 'hacks' to accelerate improvement in five domains: strength, cardio, energy, stress and the brain. Each list is a mix of okay ideas and woo-woo missing good evidence - covering many hacks and fads like cold plunges, wim hof and hyperbaric oxygen chambers. Again the quality of evidence is wildly insufficient, but many of these 'hacks' have been the subject of more recent scientific research so at least these lists enable further research. I will give credit for the sheer quantity of new age health and anti-aging techniques he managed to cram into one book.

As RFK Jr. is now head of the HHS in the United States, this book does give interesting insight into the kinds of ways him and his followers think about these topics - this is another angle you could read it for.

Overall I wouldn't recommend this book. I found a critical read enjoyable and it did spark some thinking about my present lifestyle, but it simply has too little of a scientific basis to seriously recommend to anyone.

[Riley Scanlan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Asprey offers a lot of powerful information to help everyone improve their lives! As a novice biohacker, I found all of this information extremely useful! It packs A LOT of information into the book for you to take pieces of and experiment with! I will caution that at some points the content feels overwhelming. In addition, the reason why this book did not receive 5 stars is because I felt the author tries to frame that you must buy his own products in order to succeed. But if you go in with an open mind you will find a lot of very useful biohacks that you can use in your own life!

[Richa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picked it up purely for its very interesting premise and an attractive introduction. Abandoned shortly into chapter 2.

Not saying the book does not deliver value, but it could use wayyy better editing. The author takes pages upon pages to build and rebuild the same idea over and over again. You could skip pages and find yourself at the same spot, conceptually, where you left off. At some point it started to feel like a never ending sales pitch. Not a very practical example of biohacking given that that’s the central premise of the book ;)

Again, good ideas and suggestions but you’re probably better off reading the AI summarisation of the book.

[Charles Huard · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very important book on using biohacking to update your body or MeatOS for whatever you value a fast metabolism, brain health, cardiovascular training, or strength training.

[Suzie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I know Dave is the expert in biohacking. I was curious but found this a bit too technical. While there were some recommendations, also just too much (but in other ways not enough to get started). Someone needs to write a more practical workbook here.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another excellent book by Dave Asprey! This book is full of great suggestions to improve your health.

[Sunil Rajasekar · Rating 4 out of 5]

The two good bio hacking books this year are Outlive and this one. When it comes to cutting edge wellness topics, I like Peter Attia, David Sinclair, Andrew Huberman and Dave Asprey in that order. This book is comprehensive and chock full of hacks and pretty much lists everything I have read or heard of in the last couple of years…it can be overwhelming and you have to pick and choose what works for you which the book recommends as well.

[Donna Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

2nd read, paper copy. This book is so interesting and well-written! 2nd read was at least as interesting as the first, and the experience of having the print version with its emphases and charts was excellent. It did feel like it should have wrapped up a little faster at the end, so four stars.

This one was hard to stick with in the beginning. I almost dnf’d it. The next thing I knew, I was obsessed! I listened to the audio, but this is definitely one I will buy a hard copy of.
The point of the book is that research has taught us new, more efficient ways to get healthy. The right exercises can give you greater results in far less time. The right food will give you a slimmer, healthier body with less effort. Etc. The author covers basics like nutrition and exotic things like vibration therapy. Each hack has simpler, inexpensive things to do and fancier, more outrageous seemings things to do. I’m impressed enough to try some of these hacks!

[Scott · Rating 1 out of 5]

Borrowed this title because I heard him interviewed and I was intrigued by a couple of the things he said about working out in a more efficient way. (Cardio and strength). Those topics were a very small portion of the book… probably 90% of the rest of the book would considered controversial by traditional doctors and scientists. Some of it will probably end up being right… but I would assume a lot will be wrong.

2 sentences illustrate why I didn’t like the book: he said he takes between 75-150 pills a day (supplements). And a line “if it’s good enough for Tony Robbins it’s good enough for me”

That being said… I’m going to try the REHIT approach to cardio and see how it goes.

[Mo Buka · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t stress enough on how important this book is! It’s a guideline line for changing your life towards all what can possibly be called GOOD.
In this modern world where things are drastically fast changing, this book puts you up to speed on all whats matter at this era of life, to focus on your life objectives and get the support you need for biohacking yourself towards being best version of you.

[Bookish207 · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF. Exceedingly long slog to get through. Not engaging, and some questionable health claims.

[John Mason · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this a very difficult read for two main reasons. Firstly, the views are very one sided with the author being clear that doing anything different to the approach he espoused is just wrong, often without clearly evidencing why. I much prefer a more balanced exploration of the evidence. This is not helped by the fact that the author has quite an extreme approach. As he proudly exclaimed he is the kind of man who takes his own butter to a restaurant and takes 100-150 supplements a day.

Secondly, a lot of words are wasted in repetitive sales pitches for companies the author has a financial interest in.

The first main section is on nutrition and the author is clearly in the paleo camp for this, although he uses some different words. Like a lot of paleo and vegan supporters he only focussed on anything that supports his side of the debate. Vegan writers can be just as guilty of this and it is us the readers who lose out. This blinkered approach prevents a useful discussion of the latest evidence. He has many anecdotes to support his case such as a bone doctor telling him his tools struggled to cut his bone as it is so dense (due to minerals he says) and a teacher commenting how heavy his children are for the same reasons!

The next main section on ‘doing’ things is much better but shared with section one a frustrating and constant sales pitch for every company the author owns or advises. It can feel like a very energetic sales pitch rather than a discussion of the merits of different approaches. However, despite this some interesting discussion, especially if some approaches I had not really heard about before in such detail e.g. light and vibration etc. however, the negative views to any traditional approach he doesn’t support e.g. traditional gym work, is a distraction.

The last section which wraps up all the previous words and provides advice for continuous improvement is easily the best and I’m glad I stuck with the book despite being very frustrated at times.

Overall, I would not recommend this unless you really short of books to read in this space. A bit more balance and more limited sales pitches twinned with tighter editorship to reduce the word count would have greatly improved the readers experience. Overall, I don’t expect to try another book by this author.

[Kenneth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was not impressed with this book. I rounded up to three stars and I'm not sure it deserves that many.
I think to even go down one of the paths of self improvement here I would end up spending more time and energy than I am. Would my outputs be better? I'm not sure. I sort of thought 'hacking' would be easier/cheaper than buying my own EEG machine or whatever. And would that accomplish more than the exercise bike taking up room in the garage? I doubt it.
Now, some of this I'm already doing. But hey, he name drops Wim Hoff, but you're better off buying Wim's stuff and figuring it out.
There are some nuggets here, but they are buried deep in the bullshit and teasing them out isn't easy.
For instance, to take the area I'm most fluent in, exercise. I already follow a couple of really good trainers, Dan John and Mark Wildman, who do a much better job of giving me inexpensive ways to get where I want to go. Some of Dave's ideas for working out are problematic. People can't just turn on a twenty second max interval and walk away. That's not easier. It's not a hack, because it's not easier. And everything seems to be expensive. My suite of workout equipment, the stuff I use now on a regular basis, cost me a few hundred bucks and it will last most of forever.
And don't quote me a study that looked at untrained subjects. Everything works on untrained subjects. Everything works for six weeks. Will it keep working? Will it keep you interested? Is it scalable?
Even areas I agree with him he skips over the nitty gritty details you need to implement things. I guess, in the end, I can't recommend this book.