From "Forever Strong" by Dr. Gabrielle Lyon, which introduces her philosophy of Muscle-Centric Medicine® and the Lyon Protocol. The core argument is that muscle health is the organ of longevity and critical for overall health, metabolic function, and defense against diseases like dementia and cancer. Dr. Lyon critiques mainstream nutritional guidelines, particularly the low recommended dietary allowance for protein, advocating instead for a protein-forward, strength-training-focused lifestyle with a high intake of bioavailable animal-based proteins. The book includes personal anecdotes, case studies, specific dietary plans with high protein targets (like 1 gram per pound of ideal body weight), detailed exercise routines focusing on resistance training, and advice on mindset and tracking health metrics to achieve lasting wellness.

From Peter Hollins’ The Science of Self-Discipline, a comprehensive guide to understanding and improving willpower, beginning with the author’s personal story of gaining weight through disciplined eating. The book explains the biological basis of self-discipline, noting that it is like a muscle that can be trained but also fatigued—a concept known as willpower depletion. It explores the importance of motivation(favoring intrinsic factors like progress over material rewards) and introduces practical strategies for cultivating discipline, such as the Navy SEALs' 40% Rule and the 10-Minute Rule. Furthermore, the source identifies common hindrances to discipline, including the False Hope Syndrome and rationalizing poor choices, while advocating for practices like "urge surfing" to manage discomfort and emphasizes the need to construct an environment conducive to success by limiting distractions and leveraging social relationships. Finally, the text stresses that building consistent habits over time is more crucial than relying on fleeting motivation for achieving long-term goals.

The book explores various aspects of human cognitive biases and self-delusion, arguing that the brain frequently alters reality through psychological mechanisms to create a coherent personal narrative. Several concepts are introduced, including the illusion of external agency, where people attribute their emotional states to outside forces, and the sunk cost fallacy, which causes individuals to continue investing in something to avoid the feeling of loss. The source also examines phenomena like the backfire effect and confirmation bias, which protect existing beliefs from contradictory evidence, and the halo effect, which biases overall perception based on a single trait, such as attractiveness. Through experimental examples, such as the infamous Dartmouth-Princeton football game study and the case of the three Christs of Ypsilanti, the text illustrates how group identity and the need for meaning fundamentally shape an individual's view of the world.