Optimized Practices for Waking

Anyone with a general understand of health and nutrition will find this book pretty useless. The workout advice is a joke, the nutrition advice is basic. Most of everything else is kooky. This book will only advantage those whose lives are a mess. You can save your money by reading tnation.com and listening to Tim Ferris.

I was really disappointed with the content in this book. As much as I like and agree with Onnit's philosophy this book was a huge waste of time. I spent most of the time siphoning through the Author's BS to try and get some good information out of it. A lot of the philosophy in the book is idealistic. More specifically, a typical recommended day outlined in the book would be to wake-up and get some light/water, wrestle your girlfriend naked, take a cold, shower, take deep breaths in your car, commute to work, eat a weird lunch, take a nap (at work), come home and eat a dinner that won't make you gassy so that you can have sex and go to bed. WTF
For someone that does ayahuasca ceromonies in the the store, I was mostly surprised by the amount of ego the Author projects in his writing. It is almost worth the read just to see the extent of it.

This book really encompasses the ideal lifestyle that you should be living one day at a time. Aubrey does a really good job of guiding readers to see how accessible a healthy lifestyle is. You get a good amount of everything in this book. I honestly haven't found a book in years to keep my attention like this one did, but for some reason the way Aubrey articulates and writes doesn't seem like you are just reading, it seems more like he is having a conversation with you (which is better in my opinion). Definitely would recommend picking up a copy!

Discpline is really hard for me so books like this have intimidated me for a long time. What I loved about this one is that it didn't make me feel like I was staring up at this 90 day mountain. The changes were all mostly small and easy and part of one day. The water in the morning and the afternoon rest have already started to change my energy levels and my sleep.

Mastering your life is extremely difficult and while I do enjoy self-help and other books, they lack actionable ways to improve your life. I think Aubrey does a great job of making this book seem like it is just trying to make 30 minutes better at a time. Then you take that 30 minutes and stretch it into 60 then 90. Pretty soon your entire day is different than it was before the book, you feel better, you are healthier, stronger, you are happier and all these things allow you to live the life you want to live. It really was an amazing book and I think anyone interested in having a better life should give it a read.

Bought and read. All of this information is available on line for free. Written like a high school guy trying to see how many F bombs and S bombs he can drop. Even being an former Marine, I found it distracting. Went into the trash!

Aubrey Marcus nails it with a book that’s engaging, easy to read and dense with strategies and practices that can be implemented right away or integrated over time as you work up to owning the day. Aubrey’s personality shines through on the audio version. It ends with a beautiful and luminous call to action. I regularly read health, wellness and biohacking books and I recommend this above all others. I have read it twice over the course of a week and I am already seeing results from quite a few practices that I was easily able to implement.

Inasmuch as optimizing human performance is concerned there is nothing terribly new in this book that isn't either common sense and/or easily sourced. People! Let me simplify optimal performance and most self-help material:(1) There is no special magic. (2) Make good choices and then be 100% responsible for what you choose. Learn from mistakes! Rest! Exercise! Spend time with those you love!! Eat a variety of good, wholesome food! Go outside! Work! Play! Get more rest! Repeat daily! Now pay me!

I bought this book to support Aubrey after hearing him speak so honestly about open relationships on Ari Shaffir’s podcast. This book was way better than I expected. I stay up on health breaktrhoughs and personal development tricks, but there was still a lot of fresh info for me to try out in this book. Aubrey is inspiring, and the writing here is conversational, though I would’ve cut about half of his jokes. To me, those often felt self-indulgent and I just wanted him to get back to the advice. Still, five out of five stars because this book changed my life and I love the author as he presents himself here. I can forgive his corniness, just as he advocates I forgive myself for my own shortcomings

While it is true that there was nothing really new for me in terms of practices to optimize the day, it was a great reminder of what I already know.

I did change the timing of some things (caffeine and hydration).

Aubrey wrote the book much like he speaks about pretty much anything on the podcast. A combination of serious and humor that I really like.

Great work putting together this book. Super good information in here. I haven’t gone to the bottom of the science behind it. Mostly because so much of it I have experience with already and it works for me.

Aubrey Marcus has written possibly the greatest health/fitness/personal development book that I have ever come across. From the first chapter to the last, the quality of the content is consistently engaging, all the way to the end. There's never a point where you start to feel the author ran out of something worth saying. Where most authors would promise the world, then overcomplicate their advice for readers Aubrey is straight forward and lays everything out in easy to understand chunks. Each chapter is written so that the reader will not only understand the subject, but then gives REALISTIC advice to take action and implement what they learn. This is one of those books you'll always want to keep around to look back to, anytime you feel you're not owning each day.

This is seriously the best book I’ve ever read. I love the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F---, even How to Make S--- Happen, but this book stands above them all. The way it’s formatted makes it an incredibly entertaining read, and everything is so doable that I’ve been able to implement literally everything I’ve read THE SAME DAY. I’m not even done reading the book yet, but the ice cold showers, kettlebell workouts, and binaural beats have already changed my life and I can’t wait to see where those habits will take me in the future.

A book full of information to really shape the way you think and live. Small changes made to your current lifestyle to jumpstart your body into living the best you. Most books tell you what you currently do is all wrong, this book tells you better options and little changes to make.

Long awaited! Just finished the first chapter and i cant get enough. So much value packed into a book. Practical,yet philosophical, a perfect dichotomy balanced by the author masterfully.
I can tell he really put his heart and soul into it!
Perfection.

Aubrey Marcus nails it with a book that’s engaging, easy to read and dense with strategies and practices that can be implemented right away or integrated over time as you work up to owning the day. Aubrey’s personality shines through on the audio version. It ends with a beautiful and luminous call to action. I regularly read health, wellness and biohacking books and I recommend this above all others. I have read it twice over the course of a week and I am already seeing results from quite a few practices that I was easily able to implement.

Inasmuch as optimizing human performance is concerned there is nothing terribly new in this book that isn't either common sense and/or easily sourced. People! Let me simplify optimal performance and most self-help material:(1) There is no special magic. (2) Make good choices and then be 100% responsible for what you choose. Learn from mistakes! Rest! Exercise! Spend time with those you love!! Eat a variety of good, wholesome food! Go outside! Work! Play! Get more rest! Repeat daily! Now pay me!

I bought this book to support Aubrey after hearing him speak so honestly about open relationships on Ari Shaffir’s podcast. This book was way better than I expected. I stay up on health breaktrhoughs and personal development tricks, but there was still a lot of fresh info for me to try out in this book. Aubrey is inspiring, and the writing here is conversational, though I would’ve cut about half of his jokes. To me, those often felt self-indulgent and I just wanted him to get back to the advice. Still, five out of five stars because this book changed my life and I love the author as he presents himself here. I can forgive his corniness, just as he advocates I forgive myself for my own shortcomings

While it is true that there was nothing really new for me in terms of practices to optimize the day, it was a great reminder of what I already know.

I did change the timing of some things (caffeine and hydration).

Aubrey wrote the book much like he speaks about pretty much anything on the podcast. A combination of serious and humor that I really like.

Great work putting together this book. Super good information in here. I haven’t gone to the bottom of the science behind it. Mostly because so much of it I have experience with already and it works for me.

Aubrey Marcus has written possibly the greatest health/fitness/personal development book that I have ever come across. From the first chapter to the last, the quality of the content is consistently engaging, all the way to the end. There's never a point where you start to feel the author ran out of something worth saying. Where most authors would promise the world, then overcomplicate their advice for readers Aubrey is straight forward and lays everything out in easy to understand chunks. Each chapter is written so that the reader will not only understand the subject, but then gives REALISTIC advice to take action and implement what they learn. This is one of those books you'll always want to keep around to look back to, anytime you feel you're not owning each day.

This is seriously the best book I’ve ever read. I love the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F---, even How to Make S--- Happen, but this book stands above them all. The way it’s formatted makes it an incredibly entertaining read, and everything is so doable that I’ve been able to implement literally everything I’ve read THE SAME DAY. I’m not even done reading the book yet, but the ice cold showers, kettlebell workouts, and binaural beats have already changed my life and I can’t wait to see where those habits will take me in the future.

A book full of information to really shape the way you think and live. Small changes made to your current lifestyle to jumpstart your body into living the best you. Most books tell you what you currently do is all wrong, this book tells you better options and little changes to make.

Long awaited! Just finished the first chapter and i cant get enough. So much value packed into a book. Practical,yet philosophical, a perfect dichotomy balanced by the author masterfully.
I can tell he really put his heart and soul into it!
Perfection.

This book covers everything from diets , sleeping habits, meditation, time management, self positive talk, sex life and rewiring the brain. No other self improvement is this comprehensive. The changes recommend in this book are so simple and not complex. I think the way this book was written was for the millennial generation and for this digital age generation.

This is a very informative and easy to read book.. I have enjoyed reading and going back to the chapters that I found most useful for my personal needs... some of the stuff I already knew and u may too butwas still refreshing to hear his views on them

Author Aubrey Marcus provides a wealth of advice supercharging ourselves with positive energy, tools, and scientific knowledge. Through his own experiences as well as expertise in groundbreaking health both mentally and physically Aubrey delivers truth unlocking our given potentials. For those of us needing to uncover a path to continue our journey to greatness through developing an own the day own your life style Aubrey has the information waiting for you.

I'm one chapter in, and it's already recommending that I buy a scam product (the Valkee Human Charger). Ugh. How can I possibly trust the rest of the information in this book?? Man, I was so stoked about this book, but I can't even continue reading it. Sad.

I've read hundreds of personal development books... Hundreds and Aubrey's Own the Day Own Your Life is by far one of the best that I've ever picked up.

I've been following Aubrey for about a year and regularly using Onnit supplements so I had high hopes going into his book and I'm happy to say that I wasn't disappointed.

After getting frustrated with the current state of the self help industry with its focus on "90 Days to Success" and "6 Months to 6 Figures" it was refreshing to see a book that simplified living a good life down to a 24 hour period. This book is about LIVING fully right NOW. Not working your butt off for 20 years so that you can live fully some time in the future.

Even as an avid fitness and health junkie I found dozens of studies and new information within this book that I'd never heard of and there were plenty of actionable tactics that have already helped me #ownmyday.

If you are looking for a kick@$$ read that's based on science and research that you can implement as soon as tomorrow, then this is the book for you. Aubrey's no b.s. take on living a great life is the kick in the pants that you've been looking for and his witty humor and quirky personality make this book a fun read that feels like the love child of Mark Manson's "Subtle Art", Darren Hard's "Compound Effect" and Craig Ballantyne's "Perfect Day Formula" (And I mean that as the highest sense of flatter since those are my three favorite self help books!)

Thoroughly appreciated & enjoyed Aubrey’s writing style. There is a lot of information contained within. However, it’s easy to go back to & review key points. I would even suggest marking the pages you want to revisit as your reading. Check out his podcasts, too!!!

This book has a phenomenal protocol to help enhance life in all aspects. It doesn’t just give a narrow path to a single goal for a narrow audience. It gives a structure to a life well lived day in and day out. The only caveat is the diet portion. Everyone is unique and there isn’t a single diet that will help each and every person, they are all going to be affected differently. I think if he would have emphasized that the book would be truly great.

Health advocates like Aubrey Marcus have a long, and interesting, history. About 200 years ago, Sylvester Graham, an eccentric Presbyterian minister from Connecticut, promoted a strict, abstemious diet that won him countless converts during America’s health craze of the 1820s and 1830s. We still have Graham crackers in his name.

Then came the Kellogg brothers about 100 years ago, one of whom had a sanitarium and one of whom was a cold cereal king. We still have Kellogg's corn flakes in his name. At about the same time was Horace Fletcher -- the Great Masticator -- who became rich and famous for his advice that you chew your food until it became a pulp that you could drink. His technique, Fletcherizing, luckily lives no longer.

Aubrey Marcus brings that trend up to date. He seems to be doing well with this book, and with his companies promoting the same ideas as the book. And he does have some good ideas. Clearly from the sales figures here on the store the book appeals to a particular demographic group -- young, male, urban, fit, well-off. And the language in the book (such as the f-word liberally used as noun, adjective and verb), shows that that appeal is not a chance coincidence.

If you're in that group, or are a wannabe for that group, you may like this book. It's an easy read, with lots of trendy quotations and cribbing from people like Tony Robbins and Wim Hof. Aubrey Marcus did a lot of research to put the book together too (there are 33 pages of footnotes with section title: "Here comes the science!"). It's often motivating to read a book like this -- that's why I took it home to read after thumbing through it a bit standing by the shelf.

But it's more facile facade than solid science. For example, in the concluding chapter "Bring It Home" Aubrey Marcus says, "The science of epigenetics has shown that even many genetic characteristics may be changed by the choices we make." That's not wrong, but it's not right either. It's superficial and misleading. Just like the rest of the "science" in this book.

Other examples are his claim that people who don't chew their food well are 115% more likely to be obese than those who do. (This modern-day Fletcherism is not supported by any real evidence.) And that 68% of the American population is chronically dehydrated. (Again, no evidence exists.) And a 900% reduction in something or other that I can't find in the book at the moment. (A statistical impossibility.)

The health gospel that Aubrey Marcus preaches may be true. Today we have much more information than in the past. But you would think by now we would have evidence that this things work if they really did work. Instead, none of this stuff is proven. And as Noam Chomsky notes, “How is it we have so much information, but know so little?” Aubrey Marcus crams his book with everything from recipes to yoga poses to rules for living to scientific studies. But nowhere will you find any core principles based on solid evidence. It’s a hodgepodge, with no meaningful message.

Some people write books because they have something to share with others that they know based on evidence from research and study in their field of expertise. Some people write books to make money. And of course, most people lie somewhere on a spectrum between those two endpoints. In my view, Aubrey Marcus lies almost on one of the endpoints of the spectrum. And it's not the endpoint of sharing expertise.

I discovered Aubrey, and this book, via Ryan Holiday's "Daily Stoic" newsletter--and I'm lucky I pulled the trigger on giving this book a shot, because it's amazing.

I'm in perpetual pursuit of self-improvement and the "perfect day." I read this book in two sittings and highlighted the bejesus out of it.

I read a TON of books, and very few of them compel me to leave reviews. This is one of the rare ones since it replaces 5-10 books I typically recommend to people with one power-packed, diverse book of research-backed, cutting-edge knowledge that can help ANYONE own their lives.

You may find some familiar material in here, or some research you may not care about. Easily skimmable. Even if you just read the "Three Pointer" sections at the end of each chapter, you'll find actionable strategies you should be doing every day.

My own personal take is that the nutrition guidelines have the typical challenges: I live in a rural area and it's hard to get diverse, fresh ingredients for cooking at home, so yes, I do use a food replacement called Ample to help offset that. You still need to add some willpower and "mental override" to make these changes. No getting around that.

My advice would be to use a habit-forming app like "Productive" and adding the techniques in the book to your day, starting in the morning, and stacking new ones in there every week or so until you've transformed your day.

I didnt read it and retuned it. Eveyone is intitled to their own points of view or opinions. I dont share the authors opionion and would never seek anything outside of my marriage. I dont support that.

First read through, after listening to countless interviews with Aubrey Marcus about the book, it still blew me away with how practical it is. Much more direct than Tim Ferriss' approaches. Can't recommend this book enough.

Let me start by saying that overall I would recommend this book. I really enjoyed its format, with actionable items in each chapter.

It is however not without flaws. I knocked down half a star for some odd editing choices regarding nutrition. The so-called 'Universal Nutrition Principles' are spread out through out the book, and I think the book would have benefited if they were kept together in a single chapter, or at least summarized at first .

My biggest concern though was related to the treatment of tobacco.It seemed to me like the author was rationalizing and/or justifying his use of tobacco. Chapter 6 starts with a quote 'the problem with tobacco is inhaling it' but halfway through the chapter the author admits that even though the patch is safest/cleanest way, 'the ritual and a lot of the fun is lost'. I believe it would have been wiser to stick by the advice of his editors: DON'T.