Read by David Sinclair
What books does David Sinclair recommend?
The David Sinclair book recommendations here come from the Harvard geneticist who studies the biology of aging and argues, through his Information Theory of Aging, that aging is a treatable disease rather than an inevitable fate. Fifteen titles are drawn largely from his interview with The Reading Lists, plus a book endorsement and a citation in his bestseller Lifespan. Science and technology and philosophy dominate, threaded with psychology and self-improvement. He points to David Robson's The Intelligence Trap as a top pick, joking that his father gave it to him for his 50th birthday and may have been trying to send a message. He credits Richard Dawkins's The Blind Watchmaker, which he fell in love with at 18 for its novelty, clarity and rationality, and Steven Pinker's How the Mind Works as the books that had the biggest influence on him. Sinclair also authored one book here, the New York Times bestseller Lifespan.
Last updated February 2026 · Every recommendation cited to its original source.
The Intelligence Trap
Why Smart People Make Dumb Mistakes
byDavid Robson
2019336 Pages“My father gave it to me for my 50th birthday. I think he was trying to send me a message.”
— David Sinclair
Source: The Reading Lists Interview
Read by David Sinclair
byA.A. Milne
1926161 Pages“At the age of 6 my favorite book was Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne. It featured in my new book.”
— David Sinclair
Source: The Reading Lists Interview
Read by Charlie Munger, Jeff Bezos, David Sinclair and 2 others
The Blind Watchmaker
Why the Evidence of Evolution Reveals a Universe Without Design
byRichard Dawkins
2015496 Pages(41,795)
“At the age of 18, I fell in love with The Blind Watchmaker by Richard Dawkins, for its novelty, clarity and rationality.”
— David Sinclair
Source: The Reading Lists Interview
Read by David Sinclair
Hacking Darwin
Genetic Engineering and the Future of Humanity
byJamie Metzl
2019327 Pages“A page-turning journey through space and time that shows us how our lives will be changed by imminent technological advances we once only dreamed of.”
— David Sinclair
Source: Official Book Endorsement
Read by David Sinclair
The Advancement of Learning
Of the Proficience and Advancement of Learning, Divine and Human
bySir Francis Bacon
1605254 Pages“It’s the book that launched the Age of Enlightenment.”
— David Sinclair
Source: The Reading Lists Interview
Black Holes and Time Warps
Einstein's Outrageous Legacy
byKip S. Thorne
1994619 Pages“I read this to my children out loud. It’s perfect for young minds.”
— David Sinclair
Source: The Reading Lists Interview
Read by David Sinclair
Surfaces and Essences
Analogy as the Fuel and Fire of Thinking
byDouglas Hofstadter, Emmanuel Sander
2013592 Pages“It’s a brilliant synthesis of style, form, function and science that baffles the mind.”
— David Sinclair
Source: The Reading Lists Interview
Read by David Sinclair
Talking to Robots
Tales from Our Human-Robot Futures
byDavid Ewing Duncan
2019320 Pages“I was at David’s book launch and have loved David’s writing over the past 20 years.”
— David Sinclair
Source: The Reading Lists Interview
Read by David Sinclair
bySteven Pinker
1997660 Pages“The books that have had the biggest influence on me are The Blind Watchmaker by Richard Dawkins and How the Mind Works by Steven Pinker.”
— David Sinclair
Source: The Reading Lists Interview
The Big Picture
On the Origins of Life, Meaning, and the Universe Itself
bySean Carroll
2016480 Pages“I recently heard Sean Carroll give a speech and I’m curious what goes on in his big brain. I am currently reading his book The Big Picture.”
— David Sinclair
Source: The Reading Lists Interview
Read by Peter Thiel, Jeff Bezos, David Sinclair and 2 others
The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable
With a new section: "On Robustness and Fragility"
byNassim Nicholas Taleb
2010480 Pages“I’m also a big fan of Nassim Nicholas Taleb’s work.”
— David Sinclair
Source: The Reading Lists Interview
Read by Mark Zuckerberg, Daniel Ek, David Sinclair and 1 others
The Structure of Scientific Revolutions
50th Anniversary Edition
byThomas S. Kuhn
2012264 Pages(138,542)
“My top three classics are The Structure of Scientific Revolutions by Thomas Kuhn, The Eighth Day of Creation by Horace Freeland Judson and The Advancement of Learning by Francis Bacon.”
— David Sinclair
Source: The Reading Lists Interview
Read by David Sinclair
A Walk in the Woods
Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail
byBill Bryson
1998304 Pages“I read A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson and laughed out loud.”
— David Sinclair
Source: The Reading Lists Interview
The Longevity Diet
Discover the New Science Behind Stem Cell Activation and Regeneration to Slow Aging, Fight Disease, and Optimize Weight
byValter Longo
2018320 Pages“My friend Valter Longo... author of the best-selling book The Longevity Diet, has shown that cycles of a fasting-mimicking diet can [improve health].”
— David Sinclair
Source: Lifespan (Book)
Antifragile
Things That Gain from Disorder
byNassim Nicholas Taleb
2012519 Pages“I’m also a big fan of Nassim Nicholas Taleb’s work.”
— David Sinclair
Source: The Reading Lists Interview
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Frequently asked questions
What books does David Sinclair recommend?
His 15 recommendations include The Intelligence Trap by David Robson, Richard Dawkins's The Blind Watchmaker, Steven Pinker's How the Mind Works, Francis Bacon's The Advancement of Learning, and Thomas Kuhn's The Structure of Scientific Revolutions.
What books influenced David Sinclair most?
Sinclair says the books that had the biggest influence on him are Richard Dawkins's The Blind Watchmaker, which he fell in love with at 18 for its novelty, clarity and rationality, and Steven Pinker's How the Mind Works.
Where do David Sinclair's book recommendations come from?
Most come from his interview with The Reading Lists, in which he walks through favorites from childhood to the present, along with a book endorsement and a title cited in his own book Lifespan.
Has David Sinclair written a book?
Yes. He is the author of Lifespan, published in 2019, a New York Times bestseller laying out his research on aging, sirtuins and the case for treating aging as a disease.
What genres does David Sinclair read most?
His list favors science and technology and philosophy of science, with threads of psychology and self-improvement, plus a few classics like Winnie-the-Pooh and a memoir such as A Walk in the Woods.
All 15 Books David Sinclair Has Recommended
- The Intelligence Trap · David Robson
- Winnie-the-Pooh · A.A. Milne
- The Blind Watchmaker · Richard Dawkins
- Hacking Darwin · Jamie Metzl
- The Advancement of Learning · Sir Francis Bacon
- Black Holes and Time Warps · Kip S. Thorne
- Surfaces and Essences · Douglas Hofstadter
- Talking to Robots · David Ewing Duncan
- How the Mind Works · Steven Pinker
- The Big Picture · Sean Carroll
- The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable · Nassim Nicholas Taleb
- The Structure of Scientific Revolutions · Thomas S. Kuhn
- A Walk in the Woods · Bill Bryson
- The Longevity Diet · Valter Longo
- Antifragile · Nassim Nicholas Taleb