Read by Arianna Huffington, Rich Roll, Joe Rogan and 5 others
What books does Gary Brecka recommend?
From mortality-modeling expert in the insurance industry to human-performance evangelist, Gary Brecka pours that pivot into book recommendations that pair hard health science with business scaling, drawing on his work as co-founder of 10X Health System and host of The Ultimate Human podcast. This list of 13 titles comes largely from episodes of The Ultimate Human, along with appearances on the Shawn Ryan Show, Next Level Pros, and his own YouTube channel. Health and wellness dominates, threaded with self-improvement, science, and business strategy. His top pick is James Nestor's Breath, which he frames in stark terms: "The presence of oxygen is the absence of disease." From Michael Easter's The Comfort Crisis to Dave Asprey's longevity books and Daniel Amen's Change Your Brain, Change Your Life, the through-line is optimizing biology through evidence and protocol.
Last updated March 2026 · Every recommendation cited to its original source.
Breath
The New Science of a Lost Art
byJames Nestor
2020304 Pages“The presence of oxygen is the absence of disease. [Breathwork] is the most essential thing we do as humans.”
— Gary Brecka
Source: The Ultimate Human Podcast, Episode 115
Read by Rich Roll, Peter Attia, Jocko Willink and 1 others
The Comfort Crisis
Embrace Discomfort To Reclaim Your Wild, Happy, Healthy Self
byMichael Easter
2021320 Pages“Aging is the aggressive pursuit of comfort. We have got to stop telling grandma not to go outside because it's too hot or too cold. This is collapsing all of our own natural defense mechanisms.”
— Gary Brecka
Source: YouTube: Gary Brecka - Is Society Getting Too Lazy
The 10X Rule
The Only Difference Between Success and Failure
byGrant Cardone
2011256 Pages“The 10X Rule is basically a concept about how we set goals and targets, and we find places of comfort that are too small.”
— Gary Brecka
Source: Next Level Pros Podcast #144
Read by Gary Brecka
Smarter Not Harder
The Biohacker's Guide to Getting the Body and Mind You Want
byDave Asprey
2023320 PagesSource: The Ultimate Human Podcast, Ep 12
Read by Gary Brecka
Fast This Way
Burn Fat, Heal Inflammation, and Eat Like the High-Performing Human You Were Meant to Be
byDave Asprey
2021288 PagesSource: The Ultimate Human Podcast, Ep 12
Read by Gary Brecka
Super Human
The Bulletproof Plan to Age Backward and Maybe Even Live Forever
byDave Asprey
2019352 Pages“Dave Asprey argues that you can grow older in years and extend your lifespan without suffering these ill effects.”
— Gary Brecka
Source: Shawn Ryan Show #163
Life Force
How New Breakthroughs in Precision Medicine Can Transform the Quality of Your Life & Those You Love
byTony Robbins, Peter Diamandis, Robert Harari
2022720 Pages“We're actually putting this brand [Ultimate Longevity Center] out so that we can really help everyone at scale... powered by Life Force, which is Tony Robbins' company.”
— Gary Brecka
Source: YouTube: Inside the Ultimate Longevity Center franchise
Read by Gary Brecka
The 5 Types of Wealth
A Transformative Guide to Design Your Dream Life
bySahil Bloom
2025400 PagesSource: The Ultimate Human Podcast, Ep 183
Read by Gary Brecka
The Carnivore Code
Unlocking the Secrets to Optimal Health by Returning to Our Ancestral Diet
byPaul Saladino
2020384 PagesSource: The Ultimate Human Podcast, Ep 10
The Power of Broke
How Empty Pockets, a Tight Budget, and a Hunger for Success Can Become Your Greatest Competitive Advantage
byDaymond John, Daniel Paisner
2016288 PagesSource: The Ultimate Human Podcast, Episode 87
Read by Gary Brecka
Rise and Grind
Outperform, Outwork, and Outhustle Your Way to a More Successful and Rewarding Life
byDaymond John, Daniel Paisner
2018320 PagesSource: The Ultimate Human Podcast, Episode 87
Read by Gary Brecka
Self Heal by Design
The Role of Micro-Organisms for Health
byBarbara O'Neill
2023160 Pages“I'm an enormous, enormous fan of our guest... she has been referred to as the grandmother of the world.”
— Gary Brecka
Source: The Ultimate Human Podcast, Episode 203
Read by Gary Brecka
Change Your Brain, Change Your Life
The Breakthrough Program for Conquering Anxiety, Depression, Obsessiveness, Lack of Focus, Anger, and Memory Problems
byDaniel G. Amen
2015480 Pages“I went to Dr. Daniel Amen's clinic. I read his first book, and I got a brain scan.”
— Gary Brecka
Source: The Ultimate Human Podcast, Episode 133
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Frequently asked questions
What books does Gary Brecka recommend?
Among his 13 recommendations are Breath by James Nestor, The Comfort Crisis by Michael Easter, The 10X Rule by Grant Cardone, Super Human by Dave Asprey, and Change Your Brain, Change Your Life by Daniel G. Amen, spanning breathwork, longevity, and mindset.
What is Gary Brecka's favorite book?
A top pick is Breath by James Nestor. Brecka calls breathwork "the most essential thing we do as humans" and sums up his view with the line, "The presence of oxygen is the absence of disease."
Where do Gary Brecka's book recommendations come from?
Most come from his own show, The Ultimate Human podcast, with additional picks surfacing on the Shawn Ryan Show, the Next Level Pros podcast, and his YouTube videos.
What genres does Gary Brecka read most?
His list is anchored in health and wellness and self-improvement, with recurring interest in science and technology, psychology and human behavior, and business and strategy.
Which book made Gary Brecka get a brain scan?
Daniel Amen's Change Your Brain, Change Your Life. Brecka recounts, "I went to Dr. Daniel Amen's clinic. I read his first book, and I got a brain scan," tying the book directly to his own health experimentation.
All 13 Books Gary Brecka Has Recommended
- Breath · James Nestor
- The Comfort Crisis · Michael Easter
- The 10X Rule · Grant Cardone
- Smarter Not Harder · Dave Asprey
- Fast This Way · Dave Asprey
- Super Human · Dave Asprey
- Life Force · Tony Robbins
- The 5 Types of Wealth · Sahil Bloom
- The Carnivore Code · Paul Saladino
- The Power of Broke · Daymond John
- Rise and Grind · Daymond John
- Self Heal by Design · Barbara O'Neill
- Change Your Brain, Change Your Life · Daniel G. Amen