My book Building a Second Brain is now released and available for sale to the world.
I put everything I know and everything I am into it. This book is the end result of 17 years of wanting to write a book, 10 years of building a business, 6 years of teaching a course, and 3 years of writing.

It contains my best recommendations on how to create a personal system for knowledge management. That system is the most powerful way I know of to be far more productive, creative, and effective than you ever thought possible. And it’s delivered in the most succinct, clear way I am capable of and available for the price of an affordable meal.
I reread it in full this past week and continued to be surprised at the simplicity of the ideas I’ve spent my career working on. It is everything I ever hoped it would be and more.
I know the book will resonate with my usual readers and fans of digital notetaking and knowledge management.
What I don’t know is what happens after that.
Will it shoot to the top of the bestseller lists, become a sweeping movement, and reshape how people work and learn all over the world? Or will it flop, barely a blip on the cultural radar?
That trajectory is completely up to you now.
The next few days are a pivotal moment. A unique window of opportunity when something normally impossible will briefly become possible.
All book purchases this week – through Friday, June 17th, will be tallied and added to the pre-orders made since mid-November last year. That grand total will ALL be counted as the “first week of sales” for the purposes of determining who makes the bestseller list.
What does that mean? It means we have one best shot, one opportunity to go head-to-head with the international bestsellers by name brand authors that usually dominate the rankings. We get to distill 7 months of energy into one week to break through the noise and propel a new concept into a stable orbit in the media universe.
If we do, so many doors will open up. The New York Times bestseller list, in particular, is what Fortune 500 CEOs look to when deciding what to invest in. It is what government agencies look to when deciding who to listen to. Professional sports teams, non-profits, schools and universities, public libraries, overseas companies – the NYT bestseller list is the gateway to shaping how all these institutions educate and train their people.
As I said, we’ve done everything we can to make that a reality. I’ve left no stone unturned.
Now I’m asking you to step up and believe in that potential future with me. To stand for it, even though it doesn’t exist yet. A future where everyone in the world – no matter their income, race, level of education, or access to technology – has the chance to build a Second Brain for themselves and realize the full potential of all the ideas inside and around them.
Here are a few powerful ways you can help spread this book far and wide:
- If you haven’t already, purchase the book.
- Share a picture of yourself with the book and the hashtag #basb on social media (we’ll add it to a new Wall of Love we’re building).
- Tell friends and colleagues who you think might benefit from the ideas to check it out.
- If you’d like your family, friends, book club, or team at work to read it, purchase multiple copies (and get special bonuses we’re continuing to offer based on how many you buy).
- Tell your followers and subscribers about the book in your email newsletter or on your blog, social media feed, or other channels (use this link).
- Give the book an honest review on your blog, YouTube channel, or Amazon for others to read and decide if it might help them (and share it with us!)
Today is the dawn of a new era – the Second Brain Era. It’s time for the world to take note.
And that’s not all. I have another exciting announcement for you!
We’re starting…
The Building a Second Brain Book Club
We don’t want to leave you alone on your journey to build your Second Brain.
That’s why we’re running a free 3-week Book Club to connect you with other readers so you can exchange perspectives, examples, and ideas.
After teaching thousands of people in our course, we know that seeing how others implement the Second Brain methods will help you take action.
Here’s what you’ll get when you join the free Book Club:
- Get prompts and action steps for each chapter in your inbox
- Join the discussion in our official Facebook group and meet fellow readers
- Have your questions answered at an exclusive Q&A with me on July 6th at 12 pm ET (view in your timezone)
The Book Club will kick off on Wednesday, June 22nd. (Update: The live Book Club is finished.)
Praise for Building a Second Brain from around the internet
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