This phrase gets overused a lot, but you truly must be living under a rock if you don’t know about the kind of impact that Joe Rogan has. If hosting Fear Factor and commentating for the UFC weren’t enough, his podcast that launched back in 2009 has since become the biggest and most successful in the world. In April of 2019, Rogan claimed to receive 190 million monthly downloads of it. When The Joe Rogan Experience moved to Spotify in September of last year, it was for a deal reportedly worth $100 million. The show boasts guests like Mike Tyson, Robert Downey Jr., Elon Musk, Lance Armstrong, and Kevin Hart, to name a few.
As you might be able to imagine from the versatile list of names above (which is just a small sample size), the conversations that take place on the show can go to a lot of places. A running joke is that the only topics that Rogan covers are DMT and hunting, but there’s so much more to things. Along with the clichés, Rogan is a massive fan of martial arts, working out, and, of course, reading.
Many take his word as gospel, so if you want to share some of the same reading material as Joe, we’ve compiled a list of 35 books that Joe recommends and loves. Take a look at them below in alphabetical order.
1. American Buffalo by Steven Rinella
As the name suggests, this one recounts Steven Rinella’s unique hunt for the rare American Buffalo.
4. Blood and Thunder West by Hampton Sides
Hampton Sides’ offering takes a look at how the West transformed throughout the 1800s.
5. Breath by James Nestor
We all breathe, but few of us have done the research into breathing as James Nestor has.
6. Chaos by Tom O’Neill
Chaos boasts some fascinating revelations about the FBI’s involvement in the case of the Manson murders.
9. Empire of the Summer Moon by S. C. Gwynne
Although other tribes are mentioned more often than them, the Comanches were the most powerful Native Americans that had an incredible impact in their time.
10. Food of the Gods by Terence McKenna
This one explores the relationship between humans and plants and the roles of things like spices and spirits in society.
12. Industrial-Strength Denial by Barbara Freese
Barbara Freese writes about corporations that negatively impact the earth but are still managing to thrive.
13. Ladies and Gentlemen – Lenny Bruce!! by Albert Goldman
All that needs to be said about this is Rogan called it “required reading for aspiring stand-ups”.
14. Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
In Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell details the factors that make successful people successful.
15. Race Matters by Dr. Cornel West
A deep dive into debates about skin color in the United States by former JRE guest, Cornel West.
16. Savage Son by Jack Carr
Carr’s work appears on this list multiple times, which says all that needs to be said about what Joe thinks of it. He recommended it on Instagram last year.
17. Sex at Dawn by Christopher Ryan
Sex at Dawn is about human mating systems, how they developed, and the idea of monogamy in the greater context of humanity.
20. Stealing Fire by Steven Kotler
A book about meditation, the limits of humans, and how and why alternate states of consciousness should be achieved.
21. The Art of Living and Dying by Osho
A good read on living and dying that is not as morbid as it sounds—questions like how to approach death and reincarnation attempt to be answered.
22. The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz
A self-help book that endorses freedom from self-limiting beliefs, one of the only true causes of suffering.
23. The Happiness Hypothesis by Jonathan Haidt
An exploration into historical ideas about happiness from the likes of Jesus and Buddha through the lens of modern psychological research.
24. The Hustler by Walter Tevis
A rare fiction entry here, The Hustler is about a young pool hustler learning the true ways of winning and losing.
26. The Journey of Crazy Horse by Joseph Marshall III
A look into the true life of Lakota Indian, Crazy Horse. It seems to have been enlightening for Rogan.
27. The Madness of Crowds by Douglas Murray
A somewhat controversial take on the political correctness of dealing with different identity groups.
28. The Sacred Mushroom and The Cross by John M. Allegro
A unique take on the Bible and the linguistics of early Christianity.
29. The Talent Code by Daniel Coyle
They say talent is something you’re born with. But is it? Daniel Coyle talks about rewiring the brain and the true benefit of the deep practice of any activity.
30. The Terminal List by Jack Carr
A story about a Navy SEAL by a Navy SEAL. What more could you ask for?
32. Tribe by Sebastian Junger
Junger writes about what a lot of us can learn from tribal societies, including true loyalty.
34. Your Dad Stole My Rake by Tom Papa
This one is a comedic look on families, and Papa’s specifically. Rogan says, “Tom is an awesome, hilarious guy, so if you’re looking for a great read, your search is over.”
35. Zen in the Art of Archery by Eugen Herrigel
A study on a form of Japanese archery called Kyūdō. The German philosophy professor’s book is credited with introducing Zen to the West in the 1940s and 1950s.