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In Rise of Superman, Steven Kotler explored the outer reaches of flow states through the experiences of action sports athletes like Laird Hamilton, Jeremy Jones and Danny Way. In his new book, Kotler and his co-author and Flow Genome Project colleague Jamie Wheal take things a step further by exploring altered mental states. Does this mean you have to mess with mushrooms or other psychedelics? No (although we learn all about the far out experiences of some neurotropic experimenters in Stealing Fire.) Kotler and Wheal also share the mind-altering secrets of the Navy SEALS, Silicon Valley visionaries and cutting-edge scientists whose research is blowing up the old, artificial limits of what we thought our minds were capable of. By the end of the book you’ll be left wanting more and luckily if you email them your receipt, Wheal and Kotler have you covered with exclusive bonus content on their website. Stealing Fire is an early candidate for book of the year lists.
Dave Asprey might be best known for creating the Bulletproof Coffee boom, but his expertise and self-experimentation go far beyond better ways to combine healthy fats and caffeine. Head Strong is one of those rare books that you have to either annotate on just about every page or use up all your remaining sticky notes to indicate “holy crap, this is profound” sections. This book is written in an accessible style for the layperson but has just enough advanced level content for experts to geek out. From changing your home and office lighting to improving your sleep habits to eliminating environmental and food-based toxins, Asprey shows you how to eliminate brain fog, forgetfulness and mental sluggishness that hold back your physical and cognitive performance. He also gives easily applicable tips for supercharging mitochondria, the microscopic power plants that fuel your cells. Head Strong is a brilliant book that your brain will thank you for.
While the other two books here deal with neurobiology, this one takes aim at coach-athlete psychology. For far too long, we’ve idolized authoritarian coaches who get results by forcing their players to comply with their unbending rules. This is one way to be successful, but in working with many pro athletes across a broad range of sports, Brett Bartholomew has found a whole host of other ways to get player buy-in and create a productive, two-way exchange that goes far beyond the old “do it my way or get the heck out of here” model. Combining practical interpersonal, communication and motivational techniques honed and elements of behavioral and social psychology, Bartholomew equips coaches to captivate players’ minds to help them get the on-field results that are required. As a master teacher, he recognizes that, as Coach John Wooden once said, “You haven’t taught until they’ve learned” and gives practical advice for making on-field and life lessons hit home, as well as showing how athletes can be more deeply engaged. Hats off to Bartholomew for writing a totally original and much-needed book.
