Livelong’s Longevity Book Recommendations

Livelong editor Erin Hunter compiled our list of must-read books on longevity. As arguably the most important element of your longevity toolkit, grab a book, read up, and live long!

Lifespan by David Sinclair, PhD

Outlive by Peter Attia, MD

The Telomere Effect: A Revolutionary Approach to Living Younger, Healthier, Longer by Elizabeth Blackburn and Elissa Epel

The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who’ve Lived the Longest by Dan Buettner

Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams by Matthew Walker

How Not to Die: Discover the Foods Scientifically Proven to Prevent and Reverse Disease by Michael Greger

The Cancer Code by Dr. Jason Fung

Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art by James Nestor

Good Energy by Casey Means MD

Limitless: Upgrade Your Brain, Learn Anything faster, and Unlock Your Exceptional Life by Jim Kwik

Ageless: The New Science of Getting Older Without Getting Old by Andrew Steele

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David Sinclair, PhD

In "Lifespan: Why We Age and Why We Don’t Have To," Harvard researcher Dr. David Sinclair challenges the notion that aging is an unavoidable part of life and instead should be considered a treatable disease, just like every other.

He discusses genetic breakthroughs and emerging technologies that are pioneering us into an ageless future. He also discusses accessible lifestyle changes to enhance our health, longevity, and prove that we are in control of our aging.

Peter Attia, MD

In “Outlive”, longevity expert Dr. Peter Attia has created a scientific guide to prolonging lifespan and improving healthspan. He breaks down the reasons for why modern medicine is not successful in preventing the four most common and deadly diseases of aging: diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and type 2 diabetes.

Attia offers a well-rounded and holistic breakdown of achieving optimal health in Outlive. He clearly defines the steps you can take to slow aging and extend lifespan, which is why it is a must-read.

Elizabeth Blackburn and Elissa Epel

In “The Telomere Effect,” Drs. Elissa Epel and Elizabeth Blackburn shine a light on the role of telomeres on aging, illness, and healthspan, and the importance of daily habits to significantly prolong health span—which they consider to be the years we remain active and disease-free.

The experts discuss how sleep, diet, exercise, environmental pollutants, stress, and other factors influence telomere health, and offer suggestions about modifying these factors to preserve telomere length. The practical advice encourages us to reconsider the importance of daily habits in promoting cellular health, enabling longer, more vibrant lives.

Dan Buettner

Written by National Geographic explorer Dan Buettner, “The Blue Zones” chronicles Buetner’s journey to the Blue Zones, which are geographical regions around the world where there is an extraordinarily high number of people living to 100 years old and beyond.

Follow Buettner as he goes to each zone and explores the role of community, spirituality, diet, life outlook, stress management practices, and all of the healthy habits that contribute to their fulfilling and ageless lives. This is the one of the most approachable books on this entire list, and makes a perfect addition to your bookshelf.

Matthew Walker, PhD

Sleep is so important for longevity, health, and well-being. Despite this, it’s been one of the least understood phenomena, until recently. New research is illuminating why sleep is critical for memory function, emotional regulation, brain processes, immune health, metabolism, creativity, and more.

These insights show that prioritizing sleep can improve various aspects of life, from personal health to workplace productivity. This is a great book to add to your longevity toolkit.

Dr. Michael Greger

In “How Not to Die,” Dr. Michael Greger, the renowned nutrition expert, physician, and founder of NutritionFacts.org, breaks down the ways in which nutrition and lifestyle can be used to prevent the top 15 causes of premature death in America.

He highlights the pitfalls of modern medicine in treating chronic disease and protecting against the leading causes of death. It not only includes an arsenal of food and lifestyle recommendations, but it also includes his Daily Dozen list of foods that you should eat every day for better health.

Dr. Jason Fung

In “The Cancer Code,” Dr. Jason Fung, author of “The Diabetes Code” and “The Obesity Code,” gives readers an in-depth understanding about cancer, a devastating disease that continues to proliferate in the United States.

Fung gives a detailed and well-rounded understanding about manifestations of cancer and the roadblocks in treatment. He provides a multitude of actionable and lifestyle-oriented recommendations to reduce the risk of cancer, including intermittent fasting and avoiding sugar and refined carbohydrates in your diet, and takes away the fear that getting cancer is out of your control.

James Nestor

In “Breath,” award-winning journalist James Nestor takes us on a journey through thousands of years of civilizations to uncover the secrets to better breathing and better health.

It’s the most fundamental thing to our health, yet Nestor argues that it’s one of the most misunderstood parts of our health. Poor breathing can cause simple problems like sinus infections, but it can also cause severe autoimmune diseases and even death.

On a personal note: “Breath” is my secular and science-based bible for breathing correctly. I think this is an absolute must-have on your shelf.

Casey Means, MD

The new bestseller “Good Energy” by Dr. Casey Means dives into the incredibly diverse and influential role of metabolic function, and how it is the key to a long and healthy life.

The book includes a four-week plan which helps you identify important biomarkers, technologies and tools that give you insights into your metabolic health, six key lifelong food principles, and she discusses other factors that influence your long-term health.

Jim Kwik

This book is your ultimate guide to brain training. Kwik discusses the principle of neuroscience that makes it possible to learn and achieve more in your life. He also provides practices, exercises, and techniques that can help you to optimize productivity, mental performance, memory, communication, learning skills, and more, and it’s all based on concrete science.

Sergey Young

Looking ahead can sometimes be just as important as living in the moment. It’s looking ahead with optimism and hope that propels action today.

In “The Science and Technology of Growing Young” Sergey Young offers valuable insights on the future of longevity. Breaking down longevity into two horizons, the Near Horizon and Far Horizon, Young explains the inner workings of today’s technologies while illuminating a future where it’s possible to be a healthy 200-year-old.

Andrew Steele

In this book, Steele provides a futuristic and idealistic look at what a future could be like if we did not have to die from diseases or suffer from age-related conditions caused by “old age.” 

Ageless asks the questions we may never have thought to ask and documents the new science that will allow us to chronologically age without facing the harsh diseases of our modern world.

It’s an intriguing read that is surely worth your time.

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