The field guide to brain performance
Twelve science-graded routines for focus, memory, sleep and habits
What do you want to work on today?
Turn the bezel
Turn the dial, pick what you want to work on, and get a first step you can try today. Every step in the book is graded A to D by the strength of the science behind it.
- A–D on every step
- 70 sources
- 2nd edition, rewritten in plain language
How it works
Find it, try it today, then run it for four weeks
- Find what you want to work on.The Start here page lists the everyday things people want to fix, like sleep, focus or overthinking. Each one points to a stack.
- Try one small step today.Every stack opens with a step small enough to do today. On a bad day, it’s also your minimum.
- Run the full routine for four weeks.Build up to the full routine over the first week, tick it off on the log pages, and look for the signs that it’s working.
Inside the book
The twelve stacks
Twelve short routines in four groups. Tap one to try its first step on the dial.
Base
Energy and sleep. Everyone starts here.
Work
Getting good work done.
Pressure
Staying useful when things are hard.
Change
Making it last.
The science
Every step is graded
Most steps in the book end with a letter that shows how strong the evidence is, as of 2026. A low letter doesn’t mean a step is wrong. It means the proof is thinner, so treat it as worth trying rather than certain.
The full edition carries the studies behind every grade, including the popular claims that didn’t hold up.
- ATested many times in people, or basic body-clock biology
- BGood human evidence, with some “it depends”
- CPlausible, but the human proof is thin or mixed
- DOne small study, an animal study, or a claim with no study behind it. The book keeps these out of the routines.
- 12stacks in four groups
- A–Devery claim graded
- 20recipes for life
BRAIN STACK · Second edition
Love? Get the book
Every word on the dial points to a stack in BRAIN STACK. The book holds all twelve, plus the tools to run them.
Sold on Amazon. Paperback in two sizes, or Kindle
For book owners · Coming soon
Own the book? Use it every day
A free companion for everyone who owns BRAIN STACK. Save it to your phone’s home screen and it works like an app.
- Every stack in full, including what to check if it’s not working and why it works.
- A morning view with your intention for the day and the practice you’re building.
- A Daily Deep question each morning, to start the day with a bit of thought.
- Gentle reminders for the practices you want to keep.
The link and your code will be inside the book. When you want more support, it leads on to Satisfied Mind, for guided coaching and journaling.
Off the screen ↓Tue 27 Oct
Today
One focused block before email
Daily Deep
What would make today feel well spent?
Practice · Day 6 of 28
Morning light
Spend five minutes outside within an hour of waking, and get up at your usual time.
All twelve stacks
Stack 1
Try today
Practice log
Morning light
+ Add a note
Tap Today, Stacks and Log to look around
BRAIN STACK × Satisfied Mind · Concept
Off the screen
The book-owner app puts your morning view on your phone. This is an idea for keeping it in front of you without picking your phone up. Nothing to buy yet, just tell us which shape you'd use
Satisfied Mind · Puck or tile
One day, on the back of your phone
We’re exploring a small e-paper companion that snaps to your phone and shows your intention, the day’s question and the practice you’re building. It’s an idea for now, and your vote helps decide which shape it takes.
Today
One focused block before email
2:44 · Wed 30 Sep
Daily Deep
What would make today feel well spent?
Practice · Day 6 of 28
Morning light
2:44
7 hrs left today
Today's intention
Daily Deep
What would make today feel well spent?
Wed 30 Sep
Practice · Day 6 of 28
Morning light
Spend five minutes outside within an hour of waking, and get up at your usual time.
2:44
Wed 30 Sep
Today's intention
Today's intention
One focused block before email
25 minutes, phone in another room
Tap to go back
Snaps to the back of your phone, and turns like the bezel. Clip it into a strap and it's a watch. Pop it off and it sits on your desk while your phone goes in another room
Which would you use?