Read by Naval Ravikant, Mark Zuckerberg, Larry Page and 2 others
What books does Peter Attia recommend?
One of the most-followed voices on longevity, Peter Attia is a physician whose book recommendations reach well beyond medicine. His 35 titles are drawn largely from The Peter Attia Drive podcast and his official recommended-reading page, and the collection is broad, spanning psychology and human behavior, self-improvement, science and technology, and health and wellness. His most-cited title is Richard Feynman's Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!, which he simply calls 'the book I've recommended most.' He also points readers to Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson's Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me), Terrence Real's I Don't Want to Talk About It, and Ryan Holiday's Stillness Is the Key. Attia is the author of Outlive, the bestselling book that distills his science of longevity and healthspan.
Last updated February 2026 · Every recommendation cited to its original source.
Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!
Adventures of a Curious Character
byRichard P. Feynman, Ralph Leighton
1985350 Pages“The book I've recommended most.”
— Peter Attia
Source: Peter Attia's Official Blog
Read by Robert Greene, Peter Attia, Glenn Beck and 1 others
Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me)
Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions, and Hurtful Acts
byCarol Tavris, Elliot Aronson
2020304 Pages“The moment I finished it, I not only reread it, but I bought it for about ten people.”
— Peter Attia
Source: The Peter Attia Drive Podcast
I Don't Want to Talk About It
Overcoming the Secret Legacy of Male Depression
byTerrence Real
1998384 Pages“One of the most important books I've read, reread, and gifted to many friends.”
— Peter Attia
Source: The Peter Attia Drive Podcast #143
Stillness Is the Key
An Ancient Strategy for Modern Life
byRyan Holiday
2019288 Pages“This is the book [I have] gifted more than any other and [have] read it several times.”
— Peter Attia
Source: The Peter Attia Drive Podcast #78
Read by Joe Rogan, Peter Attia
The Talent Code
Greatness Isn't Born. It's Grown. Here's How.
byDaniel Coyle
2009288 Pages“One of the books I've read the most.”
— Peter Attia
Source: The Peter Attia Drive Podcast #49
Solve for Happy
Engineer Your Path to Joy
byMo Gawdat
2017368 Pages“If the Terrence Real book... has now jumped into the number one spot of books I've gifted most, Solve for Happy is probably in the number two spot.”
— Peter Attia
Source: The Peter Attia Drive Podcast #152
Die With Zero
Getting All You Can from Your Money and Your Life
byBill Perkins
2020240 Pages“The book I keep on hand.”
— Peter Attia
Source: The Peter Attia Drive Podcast #237
Read by Mark Manson, Ryan Holiday, Rich Roll and 9 others
Atomic Habits
An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones
byJames Clear
2018320 Pages“Forming good habits is an essential part of both my clinical practice and my approach to my own health and life.”
— Peter Attia
Source: Peter Attia's Official Website
Read by Peter Attia
Forgive and Remember
Managing Medical Failure
byCharles L. Bosk
2003301 Pages“One of the books that I feel has had the single biggest impact on my life.”
— Peter Attia
Source: The Peter Attia Drive Podcast
Read by Peter Attia
The Presidents Club
Inside the World's Most Exclusive Fraternity
byNancy Gibbs, Michael Duffy
2012656 Pages“If you have even a modicum of interest in US history post WWI, this is beyond required.”
— Peter Attia
Source: Peter Attia's Official Blog
10% Happier
How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Actually Works—A True Story
byDan Harris
2014256 Pages“I became really interested after actually reading Dan Harris's book.”
— Peter Attia
Source: The Peter Attia Drive Podcast #07
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“Aligned with my belief that strategically pursuing discomfort is vital for human thriving.”
— Peter Attia
Source: The Peter Attia Drive Podcast #225
Read by Peter Attia
Bottle of Lies
The Inside Story of the Generic Drug Boom
byKatherine Eban
2019512 Pages“Amazing book.”
— Peter Attia
Source: The Peter Attia Drive Podcast #58
Read by Peter Attia
The Most Important Thing Illuminated
Uncommon Sense for the Thoughtful Investor
byHoward Marks
2013248 Pages“A must-read book for any investor, amateur or seasoned.”
— Peter Attia
Source: Peter Attia's Official Site - Recommended Reading
Read by Peter Attia
One Bullet Away
The Making of a Marine Officer
byNathaniel Fick
2005372 Pages“[One of] the books I've read the most.”
— Peter Attia
Source: Peter Attia's Official Blog
Read by Kobe Bryant, Peter Attia, Robin Sharma and 1 others
Jonathan Livingston Seagull
A Story
byRichard Bach
2014144 Pages“I'd encourage [young people] to read Jonathan Livingston Seagull.”
— Peter Attia
Source: The Peter Attia Drive Podcast
Read by Tobias Lütke, Rhonda Patrick, Peter Attia and 5 others
Why We Sleep
Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams
byMatthew Walker
2017368 Pages“I've often described sleep as perhaps Mother Nature's best effort yet at immortality.”
— Peter Attia
Source: The Peter Attia Drive Podcast #47
Read by Peter Attia, Changpeng Zhao, Chris Williamson and 4 others
The Psychology of Money
Timeless lessons on wealth, greed, and happiness
byMorgan Housel
2020256 PagesSource: The Peter Attia Drive Podcast #133
Read by Peter Attia
The Psychedelic Explorer's Guide
Safe, Therapeutic, and Sacred Journeys
byJames Fadiman
2011352 Pages“One of the books [I think] humanity needs right now.”
— Peter Attia
Source: The Peter Attia Drive Podcast #153
Read by Peter Attia
An Atlas of Atherosclerosis
Progression and Regression
byHerbert C. Stary
1999132 Pages“You don't understand atherosclerosis until you've studied this book.”
— Peter Attia
Source: The Peter Attia Drive Podcast #03
Altered Traits
Science Reveals How Meditation Changes Your Mind, Brain, and Body
byDaniel Goleman, Richard J. Davidson
2017336 Pages“I think does a great job of parsing that concept out.”
— Peter Attia
Source: The Peter Attia Drive Podcast #136
Red Notice
A True Story of High Finance, Murder, and One Man's Fight for Justice
byBill Browder
2015416 Pages“A must-read book.”
— Peter Attia
Source: The Peter Attia Drive Podcast #199
Read by Peter Attia
Watching the Wheels
My Autobiography
byDamon Hill
2016384 Pages“His autobiography, Watching the Wheels, is a must-read for even a casual fan of racing.”
— Peter Attia
Source: Peter Attia's Official Instagram
Read by Oprah Winfrey, Chip Wilson, Sir Lewis Hamilton and 5 others
The Four Agreements
A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom
byDon Miguel Ruiz
1997160 Pages“I'm usually reading something to make me better. The current book is The Four Agreements.”
— Peter Attia
Source: The Peter Attia Drive Podcast
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Frequently asked questions
What books does Peter Attia recommend?
His 35 recommendations include Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman! by Richard Feynman, Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me) by Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson, and Stillness Is the Key by Ryan Holiday, spanning science and psychology.
What is Peter Attia's most recommended book?
Richard Feynman's Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!, which he describes plainly as 'the book I've recommended most,' prizing its blend of curiosity, humor, and rigorous scientific thinking.
Where do Peter Attia book recommendations come from?
They come mainly from The Peter Attia Drive podcast, where he discusses books with expert guests across dozens of episodes, and from his official website's dedicated recommended-reading section.
Has Peter Attia written a book?
Yes. He is the author of Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity, a bestseller that lays out his framework for extending both lifespan and the years lived in good health.
What genres does Peter Attia read most?
His recommendations span psychology and human behavior, self-improvement, science and technology, and health and wellness, reflecting a physician's dual interest in the hard science of physiology and longevity and the softer questions of emotional well-being and relationships.
All 35 Books Peter Attia Has Recommended
- Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman! · Richard P. Feynman
- Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me) · Carol Tavris
- I Don't Want to Talk About It · Terrence Real
- Stillness Is the Key · Ryan Holiday
- The Talent Code · Daniel Coyle
- Solve for Happy · Mo Gawdat
- Die With Zero · Bill Perkins
- Atomic Habits · James Clear
- Forgive and Remember · Charles L. Bosk
- The Presidents Club · Nancy Gibbs
- 10% Happier · Dan Harris
- The Comfort Crisis · Michael Easter
- Bottle of Lies · Katherine Eban
- The Most Important Thing Illuminated · Howard Marks
- One Bullet Away · Nathaniel Fick
- Jonathan Livingston Seagull · Richard Bach
- Why We Sleep · Matthew Walker
- The Psychology of Money · Morgan Housel
- The Psychedelic Explorer's Guide · James Fadiman
- An Atlas of Atherosclerosis · Herbert C. Stary
- Altered Traits · Daniel Goleman
- Red Notice · Bill Browder
- Watching the Wheels · Damon Hill
- The Four Agreements · Don Miguel Ruiz
- Being Wrong · Kathryn Schulz
- The Puzzle People · Thomas Starzl
- King of Hearts · G. Wayne Miller
- The Double Helix · James D. Watson
- Dancing Naked in the Mind Field · Kary Mullis
- From Strength to Strength · Arthur C. Brooks
- Four Thousand Weeks · Oliver Burkeman
- Exercised · Daniel E. Lieberman
- Good Calories, Bad Calories · Gary Taubes
- The Transformed Cell · Steven A. Rosenberg
- Thinking in Bets · Annie Duke