A Simple Guide to Being Alive

We built the smartest machines in history, and we programmed them to make us feel inadequate.

A Simple Guide to Being Alive is a bold, playful, profound science-backed manual for anyone who has ever felt overwhelmed by the modern world and wondered if there was a simpler, saner way to live.

This is no ordinary book. It is a life-changing software update for your nervous system disguised as something you can read on a plane. You'll discover why anxiety isn't your enemy, but a signal, what psychedelics teach us about how your nervous system shapes every moment of your existence, and why the simplest things, like a deep breath, a shared laugh, or a 20-second hug, can change your life more than any optimization hack ever could.

Dr. Rabin combines cutting-edge medicine with ancient wisdom to show that safety, not productivity, is the foundation of performance, joy, and longevity. Drawing from his work as a psychiatrist and neuroscientist, A Simple Guide blends the scientific method with unapologetic humor, inviting you to return home to your breath, your body, and your beautifully human self.