Head Strong

The Bulletproof Plan to Activate Untapped Brain Energy to Work Smarter and Think Faster - in Just Two Weeks

By: Dave Asprey

Narrated by: Dave Asprey, Rob Shapiro

Length: 10 hrs and 41 mins

Publisher's summary

From the creator of Bulletproof Coffee and author of the best-selling The Bulletproof Diet comes a revolutionary plan to upgrade your brainpower - in two weeks or less. 

For the last decade, Silicon Valley entrepreneur Dave Asprey has worked with world-renowned doctors and scientists to uncover the latest, most innovative methods for making humans perform better - a process known as "biohacking". In his first book, The Bulletproof Diet, he shared his biohacking tips for taking control of your own biology. Now, in Head Strong, Asprey shows listeners how to biohack their way to sharper, smarter, faster, more resilient brains. 

Imagine feeling like your mind is operating at its clearest and sharpest and being able - possibly for the first time in your life - to do more in less time. What if it suddenly became easier to do the very hardest things you do? Or if you could feel 100 percent confident about your intellect and never again fear being the person in the room who just isn't smart enough or can't remember something important?

In Head Strong, Asprey shows us that all of this is possible - and more. Using his simple lifestyle modifications (or "hacks") to take advantage of how the structure of your brain works, you will learn how to take your mental performance to the next level. Combining the latest findings in neuroscience and neurobiology with a hacker-inspired "get it done now" perspective, Asprey offers a program structured around key areas of brain performance that will help you: 

• Power the brain with exactly what it needs to perform at its best all day long 
• Eliminate the sources of "kryptonite", both nutritional and environmental, that make the brain slower 
• Supercharge the cellular powerhouses of your brain, the mitochondria, to eliminate cravings and turn up mental focus 
• Reverse inflammation to perform better right now, then stay sharp and energized well into your golden years 
• Promote neuron growth to enhance processing speed and reinforce new learning - hotwiring your brain for success 

Asprey's easy to follow two-week program offers a detailed plan to supercharge brain performance, including which foods to eat and which ones to avoid, how to incorporate the right kinds of physical activity into your day, a detox protocol for your home and body, meditation and breathing for performance, recommended brain-boosting supplements, and how to adjust the lighting in your home and workspace to give your brain the quality light it thrives on. 

A better brain - and a happier, easier, more productive life - is within reach. You just need to get Head Strong. 

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2017 Dave Asprey (P)2017 HarperCollins Publishers

I feel like I paid for an infomercial

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Dave focusing on how successful he's been (how much he's "kicked ass") and how much money he's made in his lifetime makes me suspicious about his motivations for writing his books, especially considering how many products he sells. He comes across as a very savvy business man, but I ultimately felt like much of the book was a sales pitch for his products.

Nothing like this exists, but my stuff

My BS detector turned up to 11 while reading.

Many of the ideas are repeats of things I've heard in the past... but many ideas are new and unique ..

Combine this with the multiple "buy my stuff" requests, and i almost had to turn the book off.

Stay wary, friends.

Snake oil masquerade

Had to stop listening halfway through. You'll notice he uses a lot of the word "I" when describing the effects of the various supplements he's advertising for (his personal anecdotes are not facts and certainly don't mean they'll work for you). He'll describe studies but then makes the leap that therefore "if you eat this you'll have the same effect." while not citing any studies to support that assertion. There's generic health advice like meditation, exercise, and eating dark leafy vegetables to establish credibility but then goes off the rails for EZ Water (which isn't water at all). You'll find bodybuilding and nutrition forums with the author's name and just about everyone is calling this program a scam. Find a credible health book.

very extensive but impractical

I thought the scientific facts in this book were very interesting the only thing is many of the brain hacks asprey suggest are either expensive or impractical but none the less well thought out and backed up. he does try and sell a lot of his own products but also suggest alternatives. at the very least this book has given me the determination to learn more about my brain.

Occasional Nugget But Often Painful and Salesy

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

1. It's basically an infomercial for author's own products
2. The use of technical scientific terminology makes much of the book unbearable
3. With patience you can sniff out a few helpful tidbits

Dave, are you sure?

Would you try another book from Dave Asprey and/or Rob Shapiro and Dave Asprey ?

Scientific truth is difficult to obtain. It’s much easier to choose which is the truth, and belive. For someone that has some formal studies in biochemistry the The bulletproof diet and headstrong seems like a joke. Shoud we count how many mitochondria do you have to see how smart you are? Mmmmm. Aerobic tissues have more mitochondria because they need so for their specific function not because they are “smart”. That the mitochondria are essential organelles and much of our eukaryotic cell function, survival and death is dependent on the mitochondria in not a new knowledge. But that I will be a healthy, lean, smart and better person because I take a god care of my mitochondria seems at least extreme and far from science. And If to do so you need to buy my goods which are pure and non-contaminated by the evil molds, buy my coffee, my brain oil, my supplements. I have no doubt that Dave knows very well how to sell his products. Will they make you headstrong? Well if you buy them is because you need them.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

I smiled.

Have you listened to any of Rob Shapiro and Dave Asprey ’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

no I haven't.

Did Head Strong inspire you to do anything?

yeah, I want to read the scientific literature supporting the authors claims. Where are they indicated?

BEST BOOK I'VE READ FOR MAXIMIZING PERFORMANCE

Where does Head Strong rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I loved this book! Totally loved this book! I didn't even know who Dave Asprey was until a friend of mine (who knew I had been exposed to mold and was recovering) told me about the Bulletproof Diet and that led me to Head Strong. I have listened to a LOT of books on nutrition and diet (e.g., Eat Fat, Get Thin; The Whole Foods Diet; The Immune System Recovery Plan; Super Genes; Hashimoto's Protocol; The Hormone Secret; The Prime; Why Can't I Get Better; Anti-Inflammation Zone; The Gene Therapy Plan; Brain Maker; Missing Microbes; The Hormone Reset Diet; Grain Brain; Why We Get Fat; The Blood Sugar Solution; Eating On The Wild Side; Eat To Live; Wheat Belly; Healthy At Home; The Disease Delusion). And, honestly, Head Strong was the best from ALL OF THESE! He takes all of the information in these other books and wraps it together in a manner that I can operationalize, today, tomorrow, next month and next year. It's my new favorite book of all time. I have purchased it for numerous friends and colleagues since I know everyone can find one thing that helps heal their mitochondria and give them more energy. Thanks to Dave, I'm losing weight, increasing my energy, and totally love the collagen bars in place of protein bars that are made out of toxic ingredients! Keep up the great work and thanks for helping to make my life better!

Fake research , pretty quacky

What would have made Head Strong better?

Real research. The studies he cites are all very old and poorly done. Some only sample 2 people. Some of the studies don't even support the conclusions he pulls from them.

Has Head Strong turned you off from other books in this genre?

Yes. I know many of these are sales pitches and this is no different.

Any additional comments?

Overall it's "science" based on nothing more than anecdotes. The "research" is dubious at best, dangerous at worst. Conveniently his company sells what he claims are the best foods. Many people have even tested his coffee for mold toxins and his coffee doesn't fare better than many other brands. Associates with Mercola who the science world knows is a quack. Just a sales pitch that uses a lot of vagueness and buzzwords. He hasn't "hacked" anything but my wallet.

Take with a grain of salt

This book is a mismatch of personal experiences from the author combined with some science, rarely providing credible sources. While a lot of what he says can be verified scientifically, a lot of it is souped up with persuasive positive language to make the reader believe it is true.

For example, the author gives a long and detailed excursion into “Exclusion Zone Water,” saying we should eat cucumbers to increase the amount of it in our body. Google scholar searches yield extremely little peer-reviewed information about this subject, and general searches suggest that it may not even exist, and the initial articles about it are in low-impact journals.

It is frustrating to read this, because the author is intelligent and has a lot of useful information, but he mixes it so much with his own biases and advertises his own products that it makes it hard to decipher what is actually true, what he is trying to sell, and what is something that applies only to him because of his genetic makeup and isn’t applicable to the general population. It seems like the author is either unaware of what the placebo effect truly is, or is using it to take advantage of the readers.

One Long Sales Pitch

Any additional comments?

This mixes facts with wild claims. I do admit that my use of wild is an opinion, which is quite different than how Mr Asprey would present it.

Bottom line: If you think that standing barefoot on grass will change your body's chemistry, then this is the book for you. If you don't, I wouldn't recommend wasting your time.

Total snake oil

This book is bordering on the absurd. Like most people I'm sure, I read it thinking it might contain some real insight, but what it actually is a series of the bleeding obvious all leading to the sale of the authors own branded products, at least one of which has been revealed to be a total scam.

In the spirit of hacking, I'll read the book for you and save 22 hours of your life.

Eat lots of vegetables and organic meat and butter.
Sleep well.
Avoid toxins - like trans fats.
Exercise.
Meditate.
Drink the author's ridiculously priced coffee and snake oil liquid.
That's it, honestly.

If you didn't know any of the above already, there's little hope left. Check out the authors ridiculous claims for his own brand of toxin free coffee and the proven mumbo jumbo he spouts about it on the internet - Joe rogan for example, and then see if you can take much of the rest of this seriously.

Put you to sleep!

The narrator is the worst I've ever heard. The pace and tone would put you to sleep. In short its a marketing platform to buy the guy's products. The book tries to promote a healthy lifestyle but the constant message is Bulletproof products are the only ones you need, everything else will make you sick or won't help. Happy to return the book.

Excellent launch point into Biohacking!

This book is an incredible resource for anyone interested in getting optimal performance from their body and brain.

I see this as being a user's guide to your neurology - how to upgrade your brain.

Thanks Dave for being the guinea-pig with all of this and showing the way forward for the rest of us.

I've started applying some of the suggestions and feel a difference already. I feel so good!

Excellent book full of life saving info

only wish this information was available 10 years ago and after feeling the effects of being bullet proof and having the results confirming its not bull☆hit i cant wait to make my whole little family headstrong too. dave asprey should recieve nobel peace prize.

A must read

This is something everyone should consider reading. I will be using the knowledge learned from this book. It's opened my eyes to ask more of the right questions starting from the first chapter. Enjoy

Outstanding.

This is the most information sense book I've ever read (read 104 books last year).

How to increase Anxiety and Paranoia

If it's not what we eat, drink and breathe that will destroy us, it is the fungus growing in our homes and invading our clothes and possessions.
We are all doomed!
I felt a sense of hopelessness and helplessness as I delved further into this book.
Do I really want to turn my life into one long self obsession.
Is it not time to start blessing the food we eat and appreciating our surroundings?
Have a holiday and avoid this book.

enjoyed the reading

in the beginning I felt I am listing to bulletproof diet again but then I found few extra tips and materials that was good. Generally I think a book worth reading... Maybe not following it all but choosing what works for you.
I applied on a lot of dave's advices and it worked for me like magic

My mind has been blown

I already know that my diet contributes to my brain function, I did not know just how much.
A wealth of information in this audio that I shall be putting into practice at once. This audio is a must for anyone interested in self-development

Interesting but...

I found some of the content interesting, so it probably is worth listening to, and there are some useful principles which can be gleaned from the book regarding nutrition and lifestyle. However, it was very technical, a lot of the theories seemed quite extreme and in many respects this book is likely to be a source of considerable constant paranoia, which, ironically, seems unlikely to help mental well-being.