Head Strong

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.

281 people found this helpful

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.

140 people found this helpful

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.

29 people found this helpful

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?

84 people found this helpful

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.

111 people found this helpful

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

91 people found this helpful

Be aware of the false experts!

Dave Asprey has a good prose and might even have good ideas. He claims to be a successful entrepreneur, but he is certainly not an expert in the Neuroscience field. He begins this book talking about fatigue, mitochondria and its relationship with the brain ( he does not cite proper scientific bibliography for any of his claims) I am a MD and holder of a DSc in Neuroscience myself, and additionallly an expert in Brain Evolution. I should warn that Mr Asprey clinges to some outdated theories about brain Evolution, like the currently dismissed Paul McLean's triune brain theory to ground some of his too simplistic proposals of brain function. Besides, and most importantly, if you experience some of symptoms described by Mr. Asprey, like fatigue, forgetfulness, etc. You'd better look for specialized medical help instead of blaming your mitochondria and relaying in the opinion of a non-specialist. I myself sufferered from chronic fatigue that revealed to be, after intense clinical investigation, including a brain biopsy, brain cancer that needed very specific treatment and medical care, including radio and chemotherapy. Nothing substitutes real medical science and proper medical assistance when our health is at stake.

27 people found this helpful

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.

30 people found this helpful

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.

167 people found this helpful

Same as Bulletproof Diet

Lots of marketing in the book. Fixation on mitochondrias, lack of hands on tricks for end user.

26 people found this helpful