Person
Rich Roll's book recommendations
Key facts
- Rich Roll has recommended or discussed 258 books on podcasts, as of October 29, 2026.
- Rich Roll has talked about books on 6 podcasts, as of October 29, 2026.
- Those books came up in 230 episodes, as of October 29, 2026.
- The 3 books Rich Roll has mentioned in the most episodes, as of October 29, 2026: The War of Art, Range and The Artist's Way.
- The latest episode with a book mention from Rich Roll aired on October 29, 2026.
Updated
Across 6 podcasts. Every show Rich Roll appears on, in one place — not just one.
Rich Roll’s most recommended books
- The War of Art by Steven Pressfield
- Range by David J. Epstein
- The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron
- The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt
- Born to Run by Christopher McDougall
- Atomic Habits by James Clear
- The Proof is in the Plants by Simon Hill
- The Emotional Lives of Teenagers by Lisa Damour, Ph.D.
- Regeneration by Paul Hawken
- Drawdown by Paul Hawken
Rich Roll is a podcast host who frequently explores themes of creativity, personal growth, nutrition, and lifestyle habits on his program, The Rich Roll Podcast. During his podcast episodes, Roll has recommended and discussed several notable books that deal with overcoming personal obstacles and refining attention management. He highlighted Steven Pressfield's remarkable book The War of Art as a valuable source of ideas regarding creativity, professionalism, and methods for overcoming procrastination. When addressing modern societal concerns and parenting in the digital age, Roll mentioned Jonathan Haidt's book The Anxious Generation, noting its impact in educating the broader populace about the harms of smartphones and social media for children. In discussions centered around youth athletics and physical training, he brought up David J. Epstein's book Range to examine the benefits of early multisport diversification. Additionally, Roll recommended Simon Hill's The Proof is in the Plants for listeners interested in diving deeper into nutrition science. To help audiences cultivate a healthier relationship with their attention and manage screen time, Roll strongly endorsed three books by Cal Newport: Deep Work, Digital Minimalism, and Slow Productivity. He also referenced Elizabeth Gilbert's Big Magic to illustrate psychological strategies for managing a negative inner monologue by imagining it sitting passively in the backseat of a car.
Books recommended by Rich Roll
-
The War of Art
The War of Art by Steven Pressfield is a well-regarded guide on creativity, professionalism, and overcoming self-imposed creative blocks known as resistance.
Recommended“I've got this friend, Steven Pressfield is an author and he wrote this remarkable book called The War of Art. It's kind of about creativity and how to be a professional and overcome procrastination, et cetera.”
Where to get it
-
The Artist's Way
The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron is a foundational self-help guide designed to help readers recover their innate creativity and overcome artistic blocks through structured practices like morning pages and artist dates.
Discussed“which is almost like a chapter out of Julia Cameron's book The Artist's Way, where she advocates for going on an artist date once a week.”
Where to get it
-
The Anxious Generation
The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt is a prominent non-fiction book that explores the profound psychological impacts of smartphones and social media on youth mental health.
Recommended“and I think Jonathan Haidt's book The Anxious Generation has done a lot towards, you know, kind of educating the broader populace about that and parents as well.”
Where to get it
-
Born to Run
Born to Run by Christopher McDougall is a celebrated exploration of endurance running, human evolution, and the remarkable Tarahumara tribe of Mexico.
Discussed“I have the author of Born to Run here.”
Where to get it
-
Atomic Habits
Atomic Habits by James Clear is a practical guide on habit formation, personal development, and how small daily actions compound into massive long-term results.
Recommended“Another book I would recommend is James Clear's Atomic Habits. He's a master of that subject matter.”
Where to get it
-
Finding Ultra
Finding Ultra is a memoir by Rich Roll that chronicles his transformative journey from battling severe alcohol addiction to becoming an extreme endurance athlete and ultramarathoner.
Discussed“out of the blue arose this very unlikely opportunity from somebody who I had met, didn't know that well, but had been um moved by reading Finding Ultra. and he offered us a position to come to Hawaii”
Where to get it
-
The Proof is in the Plants
The Proof is in the Plants by Simon Hill is an evidence-based guide that explores the health, environmental, and athletic benefits of adopting a plant-predominant diet.
Recommended“If you want to get deeper into the weeds, you can pick up Simon's book, The Proof is in the Plants, and tune in to Simon's podcast, The Proof, where he sits down with all of these nutrition scientists...”
Where to get it
-
The Emotional Lives of Teenagers
The Emotional Lives of Teenagers by Lisa Damour is a psychological guide that helps parents understand and navigate the intense emotional experiences of adolescents with empathy and practical strategies.
Recommended“her books include untangled under pressure and the emotional lives of teenagers”
Where to get it
-
Regeneration
Regeneration by Paul Hawken is a solution-based book aimed at guiding the climate movement and ending the climate crisis within a single generation.
Discussed“And when I look at your work kind of the arc of the last couple books um draw down regeneration. Draw down's like, okay, how are we going to, you know, like get into the nuts and bolts of like, you know, drawing down carbon, regeneration, more of a rebirth?”
Where to get it
-
Drawdown
Drawdown by Paul Hawken is a comprehensive environmental book outlining the most detailed plans ever proposed to reverse global warming and draw down carbon.
Discussed“And when I look at your work kind of the arc of the last couple books um draw down regeneration. Draw down's like, okay, how are we going to, you know, like get into the nuts and bolts of like, you know, drawing down carbon, regeneration, more of a rebirth?”
Where to get it
-
The Creative Act
The Creative Act: A Way of Being is a guide to harnessing artistic perspective and spiritual approaches to creativity by legendary music producer Rick Rubin.
Recommended“the creative act uh Rick rin's book which you know probably most people have read at this point I think it's still on the New York Times besteller yeah it's it's crazy how well this book is doing”
Where to get it
-
Turning Pro
Turning Pro by Steven Pressfield is a motivational guide that examines the internal psychological barriers and resistance that prevent individuals from fully committing to their creative work and professional ambitions.
Recommended“and I don't know it's pretty cool all right so yeah there's the war of art on the back and then there's turning pro these books are just instrumental”
Where to get it
-
The Book of Hope
The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times by Jane Goodall and Douglas Abrams is an intimate exploration of hope, climate anxiety, and resilience through the lens of the renowned naturalist's life and philosophy.
Discussed“I was thinking about um Jane Goodall's the book of Hope have you read this book no”
Where to get it
-
This Cheese is Nuts!
This Cheese is Nuts! by Julie Piatt is a plant-based cookbook dedicated to crafting gourmet vegan cheeses using nuts and seeds.
Discussed“and then my wife wrote a book called this cheese is nuts which is about how to make plant-based cheese”
Where to get it
-
The Alzheimer's Solution
Dean Sherzai and Ayesha Sherzai's The Alzheimer's Solution provides a science-backed framework for fighting cognitive decline, improving brain health, and preventing Alzheimer's disease through lifestyle and nutrition.
Discussed“the shersey's first graced the podcast a couple years ago back in episode 330 to talk about their first book which is called the alzheimer's solution it's a must read you got to pick this thing up it's amazing”
Where to get it
-
The Book of Joy
This profound spiritual work captures dialogues between global religious leaders on maintaining joy and hope in the face of inevitable human suffering.
Discussed“and he also wrote a book with the Dalai Lama called The Book Of Joy yeah and Desmond Tutu”
Where to get it
-
Deep Work
Deep Work by Cal Newport is a productivity and self-help guide that argues for the immense value of cultivating distraction-free concentration in a hyper-connected world, asserting that focused effort is the key to achieving extraordinary professional outcomes and personal fulfillment.
Recommended“So, I'll close with a few recommendations for those that are interested in cultivating a little bit of a healthier relationship with your attention and I would start with the books of Cal Newport. He's got three great books that I would recommend: Deep Work, Digital Minimalism, and Slow Productivity. If you read nothing else, read those books.”
Where to get it
-
Creative Calling
Creative Calling by Chase Jarvis is an inspiring guide that offers practical tools and actionable steps for individuals looking to cultivate a daily creativity practice and build a fulfilling life around their art.
Discussed“he is an award-winning commercial photographer a director an artist an entrepreneur and the bestselling author of one of my very favorite books on creativity creative calling which was the subject of our first podcast back in 2019 as I Look Backwards”
Where to get it
-
Digital Minimalism
Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport is a thoughtful manifesto that advocates for a targeted, intentional approach to personal technology use, encouraging individuals to reclaim their time and attention from constant digital stimulation.
Recommended“So, I'll close with a few recommendations for those that are interested in cultivating a little bit of a healthier relationship with your attention and I would start with the books of Cal Newport. He's got three great books that I would recommend: Deep Work, Digital Minimalism, and Slow Productivity. If you read nothing else, read those books.”
Where to get it
- Lost Connections by Johann Hari
- Stolen Focus by Johann Hari
- The Plantpower Way by Rich Roll
- The Fiber Fueled Diet Plan for Dummies by Dr Patrick Jeff
- Slow Productivity by Cal Newport
- Excellent Advice for Living by Kevin Kelly
- Dopamine Nation by Anna Lembke
- The Awakened Brain by Dr. Lisa Miller
- Bravey by Alexi Pappas
- Endure: Mind, Body and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance by Alex Hutchinson
- The Plant-Based Athlete by Matt Frazier
- In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts by Gabor Maté
- The Chaos Machine by Max Fisher
- The Myth of Normal by Gabor Maté, MD
- From Strength to Strength by Arthur C. Brooks
- The Science and Technology of Growing Young by Sergey Young
- The Sports Gene by David Epstein
- Conscious by Annaka Harris
- Tough Broad by Caroline Paul
- Autobiography of a Yogi by Yogananda Paramahansa
- Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
- Forward by Andrew Yang
- Under Pressure by Lisa K. Damour
- Untangled by Lisa K. Damour
- Chasing the Scream by Johann Hari
- How to raise an adult by Julie Lythcott-Haims
- Life Force by Tony Robbins
- Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl
- No Bad Parts by Richard Schwartz, PhD
- On the Road by Jack Kerouac
Books by Rich Roll
Rich Roll’s latest episodes with books
Joe Manganiello On Getting Sober, The Mystery Illness That Almost Killed Him & The Trauma We Inherit
Rich Roll’s book recommendations by year
All 258 books Rich Roll recommended or discussed across 230 episodes, filed by the year each episode came out. Each year goes episode by episode, with the minute every book came up.