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Health & Fitness

The best Health & Fitness books — new releases and enduring classics — each distilled to its core framework, 7 takeaways, and a practical plan. Tap any book to distill it live.

01

New & notable — the past year

2015

The Wim Hof Method

Wim Hof

A guide to breathing, cold exposure, and meditation techniques that enhance physical performance and mental resilience, praised for its practical, science-backed approach.

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2018

Atomic Habits

James Clear

A bestseller on building tiny habits that compound into major health transformations, beloved for its actionable framework and motivational clarity.

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2017

Why We Sleep

Matthew Walker

A comprehensive exploration of sleep science and its impact on health, fitness, and longevity, acclaimed for revealing sleep's critical role in wellness.

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2016

The Obesity Code

Jason Fung

A metabolic perspective on weight loss and insulin resistance that challenges conventional diet wisdom, respected for its evidence-based alternative view.

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2020

Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art

James Nestor

An investigation into breathing techniques and their profound effects on health, fitness, and mental clarity, praised for blending science with practical exercises.

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2014

The Body Keeps the Score

Bessel van der Kolk

An exploration of trauma's physical manifestations and healing through body-centered practices, valued for connecting mental and physical health.

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2014

Move Your DNA

Katy Bowman

A biomechanist's guide to natural movement and its role in preventing chronic disease, appreciated for reframing fitness beyond exercise.

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2007

Good Calories, Bad Calories

Gary Taubes

A revisionist history of nutrition science questioning mainstream dietary advice, influential for challenging conventional assumptions about carbs and fat.

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2016

The Complete Guide to Fasting

Jimmy Moore and Dr. Jason Fung

A practical manual on intermittent and extended fasting for metabolic health, popular for its clear protocols and success stories.

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2020

Exercised

Daniel Lieberman

An evolutionary biologist's investigation into why humans exercise and how to do it better, acclaimed for debunking fitness myths with anthropological insight.

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02

The classics

2002

The Art of Strength

Pavel Tsatsouline

A foundational manual on effective strength training principles, influential for revolutionizing how people approach resistance training.

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2009

Born to Run

Christopher McDougall

An adventure narrative exploring barefoot running and human endurance, beloved for inspiring a movement toward natural movement and distance running.

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2007

Eat, Stop, Eat

Brad Pilon

An early and influential guide to intermittent fasting, valued for simplifying weight loss and metabolic understanding.

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2010

The Four-Hour Body

Tim Ferriss

A compendium of unconventional fitness hacks and optimization techniques, praised for its experimental mindset and practical results.

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2005

Starting Strength

Mark Rippetoe

The definitive beginner's guide to barbell training and basic strength principles, revered as essential reading for serious lifters.

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2007

Younger Next Year

Chris Crowley and Henry Lodge, MD

A science-backed program for aging well through exercise and lifestyle, appreciated for combining longevity research with motivational storytelling.

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2009

The Primal Blueprint

Mark Sisson

An evolutionary approach to fitness and nutrition based on ancestral living, influential for the paleo and ancestral health movements.

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1995

Intuitive Eating

Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch

A pioneering anti-diet philosophy promoting body attunement over restriction, respected for its psychological wisdom and health-centered approach.

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2005

The New Rules of Lifting

Lou Schuler and Alwyn Cosgrove

A accessible strength program designed for busy adults, valued for demystifying effective training without extreme time commitment.

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1939

Nutrition and Physical Degeneration

Weston A. Price

A classic epidemiological study linking traditional diets to exceptional health, revered for its influence on modern nutritional philosophy and food culture.

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