Short Breathing Books Compared: Which One Fits You
People ask me which breathing book to read. The honest answer is that it depends on what you want from it, and my book is the right pick for only some of you. So here are seven books side by side, including mine, with what each one is and who it suits. I’ve kept to what each book sets out to do. No rankings, no stars.
The books side by side
| Book | What it is | Good fit if |
|---|---|---|
| Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art James Nestor | Narrative science journalism about how we breathe and what goes wrong. | You want the why, told as a story, before you practise. |
| Breathe: Simple Breathing Techniques for a Calmer, Happier Life Jean Hall | A gentle beginner book with plain instructions, such as belly breathing and longer exhales. | You want simple techniques to try tonight. |
| The Healing Power of the Breath Richard P. Brown and Patricia L. Gerbarg | A clinically minded book built around coherent breathing that discusses anxiety, depression and trauma. | You want research and a clinical frame, ideally alongside care. |
| The Oxygen Advantage Patrick McKeown | A structured functional-breathing method: nasal breathing, CO2 tolerance and the BOLT score. | You like a programme with measurements, or you train for sport. |
| How to Breathe Ashley Neese | An exercise-led guide for people new to breathwork. | You want a menu of exercises to work through. |
| The Little Book of Breathwork Hachette, 2026 | A pocket-sized gift book with quotes and easy exercises. | You want something small for the bag or the bedside. |
| Bare Breath Jack Bare | A short book (26 pages on Kindle) about not forcing the breath: six practices, from two to twenty minutes each and a seven-day starter. | You have tried techniques that didn’t stick and want to stop managing your breathing. |
Descriptions are from each publisher’s own summary and common reader write-ups, including Shamash Alidina’s and Isabel Tew’s breathing book lists, as of October 2026. I have no tie to the other authors.
Is there a short book on breathing exercises under 50 pages?
Yes. Bare Breath by Jack Bare is 26 pages on Kindle and takes under an hour to read. It gives you six breathing practices, from two to twenty minutes each, and a seven-day starter plan. You do not need any experience or a counting system.
Most well-known breathing books are well over 100 pages. Here is how the books on this page compare on length alone:
| Book | Author | Length | Under 50 pages? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bare Breath | Jack Bare | 26 pages (Kindle) | Yes |
| How to Breathe | Ashley Neese | 144 pages (hardcover) | No |
| Breathe: Simple Breathing Techniques for a Calmer, Happier Life | Jean Hall | 147 pages (hardcover) | No |
| The Healing Power of the Breath | Richard P. Brown and Patricia L. Gerbarg | 176 pages (paperback) | No |
| Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art | James Nestor | 304 pages (hardcover, Riverhead 2020) | No |
| The Oxygen Advantage | Patrick McKeown | 360 pages (Kindle) | No |
Page counts come from each book’s Goodreads listing for the edition named, checked October 23, 2026 (Nestor: the publisher’s figure). Other editions run longer or shorter. A longer book is not a worse book: the long ones give you the science, the history or a full training method. A short one suits you if you want to try a practice tonight and read the rest later, or never.
Want a short series rather than one book? See short self-help books on breathing, sleep and stress.
How to choose
- You want to understand breathing first: start with Nestor, then decide if you want a method.
- You want a method with numbers: McKeown.
- You feel anxious and want to read the research: Brown and Gerbarg, alongside whatever care you already have.
- You want something short you can start today: Jean Hall, or my book if counting and techniques have never stuck for you.
Where Bare Breath fits
I wrote Bare Breath for people who have already tried breathing exercises and found themselves managing every breath. It is short, it has no science section, and it won’t teach you a count. What it does is help you notice the bracing and let the ordinary breath come back. If you want the science, read Nestor. Many people read both.
This is a reading guide, not medical advice. None of these books replaces care from a doctor or therapist. If a breathing practice makes you dizzy, stop and breathe normally.
Try the opening first
The opening of chapter one of Bare Breath is free. Enter your email on the free-chapter page and it opens there.
Read the free chapter Bare Breath on Amazon
Related
- Books on short breathing exercises
- Best breathing book for anxious moments
- Best breathing book for beginners
More about the book on its page, including common questions. More from the blog