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.
As the name suggests, this one recounts Steven Rinella’s unique hunt for the rare American Buffalo.
Joe called Best Evidence has favorite conspiracy book ever. It takes a look at the Kennedy Assassination.
Joe came across this one due to his fascination with Native American History and it’s the one to check out because he calls it his favorite on the topic.
Hampton Sides’ offering takes a look at how the West transformed throughout the 1800s.
We all breathe, but few of us have done the research into breathing as James Nestor has.
Chaos boasts some fascinating revelations about the FBI’s involvement in the case of the Manson murders.
Everything you need to know about coyotes is covered here. Joe Rogan thinks it’s amazing.
No surprises that Joe loves this seeing as though he hosts the documentary version.
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.
This one explores the relationship between humans and plants and the roles of things like spices and spirits in society.
An insight into Scientology that Joe Rogan called “one of the weirdest books” he’s ever read.
Barbara Freese writes about corporations that negatively impact the earth but are still managing to thrive.
All that needs to be said about this is Rogan called it “required reading for aspiring stand-ups”.
In Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell details the factors that make successful people successful.
A deep dive into debates about skin color in the United States by former JRE guest, Cornel West.
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.
Sex at Dawn is about human mating systems, how they developed, and the idea of monogamy in the greater context of humanity.
Rogan calls this both “excellent” and “perplexing.” It’s a look at why people misunderstand quantum mechanics.
A non-fiction account of the Battle of the Little Bighorn in the late 19th century. Rogan calls it “intense.”
A book about meditation, the limits of humans, and how and why alternate states of consciousness should be achieved.
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.
A self-help book that endorses freedom from self-limiting beliefs, one of the only true causes of suffering.
An exploration into historical ideas about happiness from the likes of Jesus and Buddha through the lens of modern psychological research.
A rare fiction entry here, The Hustler is about a young pool hustler learning the true ways of winning and losing.
Here, Muraresku writes about the role of psychedelics in the formation of Western society. According to Joe, “it’s fucking sensational.”
A look into the true life of Lakota Indian, Crazy Horse. It seems to have been enlightening for Rogan.
A somewhat controversial take on the political correctness of dealing with different identity groups.
A unique take on the Bible and the linguistics of early Christianity.
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.
A story about a Navy SEAL by a Navy SEAL. What more could you ask for?
Another one of Rogan’s favorites, The War of Art is about the barriers that artists, entrepreneurs, and more face.
Junger writes about what a lot of us can learn from tribal societies, including true loyalty.
The third Jack Carr book on this list, Joe binged all of his works in a month. “I’m hooked!”
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.”
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.