Best Health Books: 35 TOP Books on Nutrition, Fitness, Sleep

Looking for the best health books of all time?

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Here's what you'll find on this page...

Here’s What You’ll Find on This List…

I thought creating a list of the best books on health would be easy.

I was wrong.

You see health is a difficult topic.

Where does mind become matter? Health become sickness? Prevention become cure?

The atomist in me wants neat little boxes. The realist knows that it’s complicated.

But you gotta start somewhere right?

So, in this list of book recommendations, I’ve collected the best non-academic books for healthy people who want to maintain and/or improve their physical wellbeing.

The result is a mix of the best nutrition books, best fitness books and best books on sleep of all time from my long list of hundreds of titles.

Or in other words, these are hands down the best books about health ever written.

If You Only Have Time for 3 Books…

Only have time for a few books? Start with:

• Nutrition: How Not to Die (#3 below)
• Fitness: Born to Run (#4 below)
• Sleep: Why We Sleep (#2 below)

They’ll give you a good holistic introduction to mastering your physical health.

But don’t take my word for it. Browse through the list like a menu, go with your gut and tuck into whatever excites you.

Enjoy this list of the 35 best health books ever written.

And until next time, be awesome, stay healthy and go well.

P.s., Did you know, Health & Vitality is the most fundamental area on TAoL‘s Wheel of Life?

The 35 Best Health Books Ever Written

Why these best health books and not others? To stay objective, I rank all my book recommendations by a combination of what’s most loved (Goodreads rating), what’s most popular (Goodreads review count) and what’s proven timelessly relevant (first publication date).

This isn’t a whimsical list. It’s a data-driven, crowdsourced collection of the best health books ever published as decided by book lovers just like you.

And if you think something's missing? I LOVE book recommendations so if there are any other best health books that you think deserve mentioning, email me and I’ll be sure to include them in the next round of updates.

Until then, enjoy this ultimate list of the 35 best health books of all time...

Books 1-10: The Top 10 Best Health Books of All Time

The top 10 best health books of all time are...

1. Being Mortal - Atul Gawande (FREE Summary)

Medicine and What Matters in the End

Being Mortal is an uncomfortable yet enlightening exploration of how treating terminal disease (especially linked to ageing) as a purely extend-life-at-all-costs medical problem is destroying the final moments of our lives - by surgeon and best selling author, Atul Gawande.

Published 2014 // 282 pages // Rated 4.4 over 155,700 reviews on Goodreads

2. Why We Sleep - Matthew Walker (FREE Summary)

Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams

Why We Sleep is a fascinating and accessible guide to what sleep is, why sleep matters and how to optimise your sleep habits to live longer, feel happier and set your life up for success - by sleep scientist and best-selling author, Matthew Walker.

Published 2017 // 368 pages // Rated 4.4 over 125,800 reviews on Goodreads

3. How Not to Die - Michael Greger (FREE Summary)

Discover the Foods Scientifically Proven to Prevent and Reverse Disease

How Not to Die is a deeply researched and compelling primer on the promise and importance of whole food plant-based nutrition in preventing and reversing disease - by medical doctor and nutrition expert, Michael Greger.

Published 2015 // 576 pages // Rated 4.4 over 31,000 reviews on Goodreads

4. Born to Run - Christopher McDougall (FREE Summary)

A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen

Born to Run takes takes running back to its roots in this critically acclaimed analysis of evolution, injury and recovery that is filled with compelling insights, great story telling and practical tips - by best-selling author and journalist, Christopher McDougall.

Published 2009 // 287 pages // Rated 4.3 over 186,300 reviews on Goodreads

5. The Body - Bill Bryson (FREE Summary)

A Guide for Occupants

The Body is a fantastically-written and awe-inspiring 23-chapter tour through the 30 trillion cells that (literally) make you who you are - by best-selling author, Bill Bryson.

Published 2019 // 450 pages // Rated 4.3 over 58,200 reviews on Goodreads

6. The Obesity Code - Jason Fung (FREE Summary)

Unlocking the Secrets of Weight Loss

The Obesity Code gives an amazing look at how the body uses food to create the perfect conditions for obesity and how to disrupt the cycle to create a healthier future - by kidney disease specialist, best-selling author and MD, Jason Fung.

Published 2016 // 328 pages // Rated 4.4 over 24,200 reviews on Goodreads

7. The Emperor of All Maladies - Siddhartha Mukherjee (FREE Summary)

A Biography of Cancer

The Emperor of All Maladies is a rich and deep biography of cancer, from its first documented appearance to our modern battles to understand and cure humanity's (current) second biggest killer - by physician, biologist and author, Siddhartha Mukherjee.

Published 2010 // 571 pages // Rated 4.3 over 92,200 reviews on Goodreads

8. Taking Charge of Your Fertility - Toni Weschler (FREE Summary)

The Definitive Guide to Natural Birth Control, Pregnancy Achievement, and Reproductive Health

Taking Charge of Your Fertility is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand female fertility, maximise conception or learn about chemical and device free methods of contraception - by women's health educator and author, Toni Weschler.

Published 1995 // 536 pages // Rated 4.5 over 9,900 reviews on Goodreads

9. Starting Strength - Mark Rippetoe (FREE Summary)

Basic Barbell Training

Starting Strength is a well-illustrated, detailed and time-tested guide to mastering the most important barbell exercises you need to get strong, fast without injuring yourself - by strength training coach and author, Mark Rippetoe.

Published 2005 // 320 pages // Rated 4.5 over 9,100 reviews on Goodreads

10. Eating Animals - Jonathan Safran Foer (FREE Summary)

Eating Animals is a part-memoir, part-investigative-journalism philosophical dive into the darkest corners of our dining habits in this fascinating exploration of what we eat and why - by novelist and nonfiction author, Jonathan Safran Foer.

Published 2009 // 341 pages // Rated 4.2 over 72,900 reviews on Goodreads

Books 10-35: The 25 Best Health Books to Read Next

Here are the next 25 best health books from my database...

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Arthur Worsley
I founded TAoL to discover and share the best wisdom on how to live long and prosper. Before that I studied Psychology, Philosophy & Physiology at Oxford and consulted at McKinsey. Still curious? Learn more or take my FREE productivity quiz.