Rick Rubin Recommended Books – Best List to Read

Rick Rubin is an American record producer, co-founder of Def Jam Recordings, former co-president of Columbia Records, co-producing such a huge variety of musical genres and recording artists. His minimal production style often fingers a key factor that influenced the way modern songs.

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7 books on the list

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Born Standing Up

4.4

6 391 ratings

Steve Martin

Recommended by: Rick Rubin, Morgan Housel, Marc Andreessen and 1 others

Rick Rubin
Book mentioned on The Joe Rogan Experience Podcast
source

Written by a stand-up comedian who started out performing magic at Disneyland, it's the moving and hilarious story of how she went from entertaining children to thrilling audiences all over the world while at the same time dealing with the family. In his memoir, he envisions one of the key persons of the iconic comedy - hers or his intimate art and her or his life placed behind the laughter.

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Wherever You Go, There You Are

4.6

6 417 ratings

Jon Kabat-Zinn

Recommended by: Rick Rubin, Andrew Huberman

Rick Rubin
It’s a great book if you’ve never meditated, and if you’ve been meditating for 50 years
source

Making mindfulness and meditation more accessible and easier for people, this comprehensive book provides a practical guide for cultivating presence and well-being, featuring lifestyle changes. This manual offers the means to incorporate powerful practices—proven methods of stress reduction and enhancement of daily life—into one's life. The practices that are easy and accessible, cultivating peace and awareness, are designed to facilitate comprehensive lifestyle changes.

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Tao Te Ching

4.5

2 470 ratings

Lao Tzu

Recommended by: Rick Rubin, Jason Ferruggia, Blas Moros

Rick Rubin
Always what you need to read at that particular period of time. It’s a magic book, in that way, in that it always fits. The book that probably inspired me the most is the Dao De Jing by Lao Tzu
source

It laid down the foundational guideline leading to the practice of Taoism, offering insight into figures central to this philosophy. Part of the Shambhala Pocket Library series, it presents a series of very profound and great teachings in poetic form, centering on living simply, humbly, and mostly in sync with nature. Through its verses, readers are invited to meditate deeply upon questions about what the essence of existence is and what the virtues of leadership are.

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The Paleo Solution

4.4

2 631 ratings

Robb Wolf

Recommended by: Rick Rubin

Rick Rubin
I continue to give it to friends because it really helped me know what was healthy to eat and how our bodies process different foods
source

A guide on how to bring back those ancient diets into modern health problems is through a guide on the change of lifestyle back into the Paleolithic conditions that our earlier generations lived in; this book is a mix of science and nutrition. In it, the reader will find a way to lose weight, improve health, and help guard against diseases through dietary changes that mirror the habits of our pre-agricultural ancestors.

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Johnny Cash

4.6

1 164 ratings

Robert Hilburn

Recommended by: Rick Rubin

Present a soul-stirring portrait of the Man in Black himself—Johnny Cash—including his music, his battles within, and what he brought to the country and rock music scenes. For all intents and purposes, his life was a massive attack on all the mediocrity of existence, tireless wanderings just to live on those wild sides.

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Diet for a New America

4.6

548 ratings

John Robbins

Recommended by: Rick Rubin

This revolutionary book squarely challenges everyone to rethink their dietary choices in light of personal health, animal welfare, and the environment. Heir to a food empire, Robbins makes a powerful and heartfelt case for leaving off eating animals and their products, showing how eating animals is related to many health and environmental problems. It's not only a movie; it's a call to action to build a kinder future.

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Slow Burn

4.5

419 ratings

Stu Mittleman

Recommended by: Rick Rubin

This is a revolutionary way toward fitness, endurance, smart, and sustainable more than any for long-distance running. Mittleman shares his philosophy of listening to one's body and adapting training toward one's own metabolism and psychology. This book gives the insight of reaching peak performance through balance and makes you understand your energy system and enjoy movement.

FAQ

What kind of books has Rick Rubin written?
Rick Rubin has written a book titled The Creative Act: A Way of Being.
What are some famous quotes by Rick Rubin?
Here are 3 notable quotes from Frederick Jay "Rick" Rubin:
1. "The best art divides the audience."
2. "You have to not be afraid to do the things that are your strengths."
3. "The music that I've always loved has been about the spirit in the music."
How do you know Rick Rubin mentioned these books?
The recommended books are checked and verified by our experts. In particular by Roman Yakovenko. Recommendations from Rick Rubin are compiled from his speeches, podcasts, interviews and social media posts. Book list checked.

Best books recommended by Rick Rubin (updated 2024) – must-read literature. Reading list made by Rick Rubin.

Rick Rubin Book Recommendations

Born Standing Up

Wherever You Go, There You Are

Tao Te Ching

The Paleo Solution

Johnny Cash

Diet for a New America

Slow Burn

FAQ

Book recommendations by other experts