The Obstacle is the Way: The Ancient Art of Turning Adversity to Advantage
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- Create Date：2021-04-10 14:55:17
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Ryan Holiday
- ISBN：1781251495
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Summary
“The impediment to action advances action。 What stands in the way becomes the way。” — Marcus Aurelius
We are stuck， stymied， frustrated。 But it needn’t be this way。 There is a formula for success that’s been followed by the icons of history—from John D。 Rockefeller to Amelia Earhart to Ulysses S。 Grant to Steve Jobs—a formula that let them turn obstacles into opportunities。 Faced with impossible situations， they found the astounding triumphs we all seek。
These men and women were not exceptionally brilliant， lucky， or gifted。 Their success came from timeless philosophical principles laid down by a Roman emperor who struggled to articulate a method for excellence in any and all situations。
This book reveals that formula for the first time—and shows us how we can turn our own adversity into advantage。
We are stuck， stymied， frustrated。 But it needn’t be this way。 There is a formula for success that’s been followed by the icons of history—from John D。 Rockefeller to Amelia Earhart to Ulysses S。 Grant to Steve Jobs—a formula that let them turn obstacles into opportunities。 Faced with impossible situations， they found the astounding triumphs we all seek。
These men and women were not exceptionally brilliant， lucky， or gifted。 Their success came from timeless philosophical principles laid down by a Roman emperor who struggled to articulate a method for excellence in any and all situations。
This book reveals that formula for the first time—and shows us how we can turn our own adversity into advantage。
Reviews
Pilar Moulaert
，
I have a weird relationship with this book。 On one hand I appreciate all the advice and this book is helping me through a tough time。 However， I dislike how when the author is talking to his audience he talks about them in a negative way。 Like saying， "Meanwhile what do you do？ You sit there and do nothing。" Dude， I am not doing nothing！ Stop assuming that。 And yes obviously I need to listen to his other book about ego XD I have a weird relationship with this book。 On one hand I appreciate all the advice and this book is helping me through a tough time。 However， I dislike how when the author is talking to his audience he talks about them in a negative way。 Like saying， "Meanwhile what do you do？ You sit there and do nothing。" Dude， I am not doing nothing！ Stop assuming that。 And yes obviously I need to listen to his other book about ego XD 。。。more
Kana Wu
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2nd times
Fermin Quant
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It is a good book， somewhat too short， but then again the main message of the book is on the title itself。 You don't need to read beyond the title to understand the message。 The books gives you examples of men who have become better because of the obstacles they faced， and it is mostly motivational than anything else。 Chapters are short， very short I would say。 Examples are also not given a whole lot of time and detail， but just mentioned superficially。 There is no science mentioned about it， no It is a good book， somewhat too short， but then again the main message of the book is on the title itself。 You don't need to read beyond the title to understand the message。 The books gives you examples of men who have become better because of the obstacles they faced， and it is mostly motivational than anything else。 Chapters are short， very short I would say。 Examples are also not given a whole lot of time and detail， but just mentioned superficially。 There is no science mentioned about it， not that I expected any， but still the viewpoint of possible survivor bias is the examples is never considered。In general， it is not really worth reading， not because it is bad， but because it somehow lacks substance。 。。。more
Ermir Korbeci
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"The obstacle in the path， becomes the path。"It is always a pleasure to read Ryan Holiday's books。 He adapts stoic lessons and makes them relevant to the 21st century。 "The obstacle in the path， becomes the path。"It is always a pleasure to read Ryan Holiday's books。 He adapts stoic lessons and makes them relevant to the 21st century。 。。。more
Benedict Navarro
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For such a great story， a lot of audience must read your book。 You can publish your work on NovelStar Mobile App。
Alicia Di Marco
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One of the best books I have ever read。 I have highlighted so many lines， and paragraphs while reading this。 It is a small but powerful book that I think everyone should read。 I know it is a book that I will come back to and read many times over the course of my life。
Terry
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This is the third of Holiday's books that I Have read。 It will probably be the last， not because they are not well written， but because， if you have read Aurelius， Seneca， and other stoics， you may find these as just more of the same。 If you've not read any of Holiday's books， I suggest you do - just， maybe， not the whole list。 This is the third of Holiday's books that I Have read。 It will probably be the last， not because they are not well written， but because， if you have read Aurelius， Seneca， and other stoics， you may find these as just more of the same。 If you've not read any of Holiday's books， I suggest you do - just， maybe， not the whole list。 。。。more
Niklas Vatn
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Just what I needed now。 Have been in a slump and have a hard time doing stuff I should get done。 There are many cool ideas provided here and for some reason I found the chapter on meditating on your mortality very uplifting。 Will definitely revisit this book and check out Ryan's book recommendations。 Just what I needed now。 Have been in a slump and have a hard time doing stuff I should get done。 There are many cool ideas provided here and for some reason I found the chapter on meditating on your mortality very uplifting。 Will definitely revisit this book and check out Ryan's book recommendations。 。。。more
Iprahim
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كتاب سهل جميل ينظر لنصف الكوب الفارغ و كيف الاستفادة منة و جعل النظر في المشكلات انها يجد بها الحل
Nkazimulo Ngidi
，
It's a great introduction to the whole idea of stoicism and philosophy in general。 The book is based off a quote by the renowned philosopher and Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius which he says， "Just as nature takes every obstacl， every impediment， and works around it - turns it to its purposes， incorporates it into itself， so， too， a rational being can turn each setback into raw material and use it to achieve its goal" which means to take a difficulty in which you are dealing with， it could be in a It's a great introduction to the whole idea of stoicism and philosophy in general。 The book is based off a quote by the renowned philosopher and Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius which he says， "Just as nature takes every obstacl， every impediment， and works around it - turns it to its purposes， incorporates it into itself， so， too， a rational being can turn each setback into raw material and use it to achieve its goal" which means to take a difficulty in which you are dealing with， it could be in any form， and see it for what it is and work it into a learning experience or advantage。 The book covers three very fundamental steps to overcoming obstacles: Perception， Action and Will， with Perception being my personal favorite step。 I don't want to get into the nitty-gritty of these three steps so I'll give you the general ideas of each of them: Perception - the ability to see things as they are and not what they are exaggerated to be， Action - the ability to handle situations with the maximum amount of thought and confidence and Will - the ability to endure and accept whatever the world or fate throws at you and move on。 This book covers these three topics exceptionally well by really diving deep into what obstacles actually are and how to move passed it and be better because of it。 Not to sound pretentious or anything but its use of past icons from around the world is honestly masterful。 It really teaches and immerses you on how people like Steve Jobs and Thomas Jefferson dealt with their tough situations and predicaments and how they dealt with it， not by giving up on it and making excuses for why they couldn't handle it， but by sitting down thinking and working on the things they change about their setbacks and turning it in their favor。 Also some of the stories told were very compelling to read about， like how James Stockdale who when faced with adversity choose not to give up and make it his mission to inspire his fellow imprisoned soldiers not to be disheartening and have the will to make it out of that prison camp， or Marcus Aurelius， someone who forgave the most treacherous and unloyal of his people because he choose not to taint his empire with the blood of his allies。 This was my first book about Stoicism and the art of overcoming obstacles and I found it very easy to get into。I highly recommend this book to anyone who has taken a newly found interest in Stoicism。 。。。more
Anita Perlikiewicz-Homco
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The message is do things even if they are hard。。。 like taking in the challenge of writing and selling a self-help/motivational book that recycles the messages of we other book telling you that you can do hard things apparently。 🙄
Demi Lopes
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A great read and a book to always revisit。
Francesco Portoso
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Short chapters with lot of historical historical examples that show how challenges and obstacles can be used to actually turn what at first sight seems "negative" into positive。 Strongly influenced by Stoic philosophy and how it has been applied in the past and in our current society Short chapters with lot of historical historical examples that show how challenges and obstacles can be used to actually turn what at first sight seems "negative" into positive。 Strongly influenced by Stoic philosophy and how it has been applied in the past and in our current society 。。。more
Tiago Garcia
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。
Monil Desai
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A must book for your library。 Its one of the most fascinating book I have read。 Each word in this book is a nugget of wisdom and a life lesson。 Read this book， it will change your life。
Olga
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CBT therapy wrapped in stoic philosophy candy。 Good insights， but only as to be published on a self-help blog， not as a book。
Amanda
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Holiday once again points to history’s heroes， politicians， generals， innovators， scientists， and sport stars to show readers how they can turn obstacles into opportunity。 THE OBSTACLE IS THE WAY is split into three sections: - Perception: The way we look at an obstacle- Action: How we go about overcoming an obstacle- Will: The heart and soul behind the perception and the will。 According to Holiday， how we approach and cultivate each of these things is essential to dealing with the curveballs li Holiday once again points to history’s heroes， politicians， generals， innovators， scientists， and sport stars to show readers how they can turn obstacles into opportunity。 THE OBSTACLE IS THE WAY is split into three sections: - Perception: The way we look at an obstacle- Action: How we go about overcoming an obstacle- Will: The heart and soul behind the perception and the will。 According to Holiday， how we approach and cultivate each of these things is essential to dealing with the curveballs life throws at us and turning them into fuel to grow—and， if we fail， learning from our mistakes and readying ourselves to try again。 As usual， the book is fast-paced， conversational， and offers readers food for thought rather than a one-size-fits-all solution。 For those working to become more comfortable with life’s challenges， this book offers sometimes seemingly counterintuitive advice。 However， it is without a doubt the kind of advice we desperately need to hear to gain a more grounded perspective。 The strategies Holiday gives may be difficult to utilize at first， but through time， patience， and practice， they can certainly equip us for tackling the unknown。 。。。more
Kat Riethmuller
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Takeaways:Stoicism – an operating manual for life – is a pragmatic philosophy that helps people overcome their difficulties。This venerable philosophy inspired George Washington， Thomas Jefferson， Adam Smith and Frederick the Great， as well as many contemporary leaders。Stoicism rests on three primary disciplines: “perception， action and the will。”Perception is the way you see the world。 Viewing it realistically or with a bias can help or hinder you。The right action is always directed， deliberate， Takeaways:Stoicism – an operating manual for life – is a pragmatic philosophy that helps people overcome their difficulties。This venerable philosophy inspired George Washington， Thomas Jefferson， Adam Smith and Frederick the Great， as well as many contemporary leaders。Stoicism rests on three primary disciplines: “perception， action and the will。”Perception is the way you see the world。 Viewing it realistically or with a bias can help or hinder you。The right action is always directed， deliberate， bold and persistent。The world can break your body， but thanks to willpower， it can never break your spirit and mind。 You – not some external entity – control your will。Obstacles that stand in the way of progress can actually promote progress。People improve by facing and meeting challenges head-on。The obstacles you overcome provide benefits you could not otherwise realize。How you think about and react to obstacles while maintaining your composure defines you。Summary:The Stoic WayIn 170 AD， Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius wrote， “Our actions may be impeded…but there can be no impeding our intentions or dispositions。 Because we can accommodate and adapt。 The mind adapts and converts to its own purposes the obstacle to our acting。” He concluded， “The impediment to action advances action。 What stands in the way becomes the way。” Marcus was a Stoic。 His thoughts encapsulate the words of other illustrious Stoics: “Chrysippus， Zeno， Cleanthes， Ariston， Apollonius， Junius Rusticus， Epictetus， Seneca” and “Musonius Rufus。”“All great victories， be they in politics， business， art or seduction， involved resolving vexing problems with…creativity， focus and daring。”An ancient Zen parable features an almost identical line of thinking， stating: “The obstacle in the path becomes the path…Within every obstacle is an opportunity to improve our condition。”Marcus knew about obstacles。 Frequent wars were prominent throughout his 19 years as emperor， during which his realm suffered a horrible plague。 He faced a meager treasury， an attempted coup， a hoggish brother-in-law， as well as toilsome travel throughout the Roman Empire – from Asia Minor to Syria， Egypt， Greece and Austria。 However， he never lost his patience， grace or courage。 People of his era admired Marcus as a great man and a good emperor。“Nothing we’ll experience is likely without potential benefit。”Stoicism and Marcus Aurelius’s wisdom motivated men and women throughout history， helping to spark the Renaissance， the Enlightenment， the Industrial Revolution， the US civil rights movement and Silicon Valley’s amazing high-technology advances。Stoicism addresses real-life issues that confront everyone: “Are you worthy？” “Can you get past the things that inevitably fall in your way？” “Will you stand up and show…what you’re made of？”“Focus on what is in front of you， right now。 Ignore what it ‘represents’ or it ‘means’ or ‘why it happened to you’。”Obstacles can provide benefits。 First， you must move beyond typical responses to trouble， including “fear， frustration， confusion， helplessness， depression” and “anger。” Marcus Aurelius’s courage and self-knowledge enabled him to transform trouble and tragedy into triumph。 Achieve similar results by adopting the vital Stoic lesson: “The obstacle is the way。”“Man does not simply exist but always decides what his existence will be， what he will become the next moment。” （Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl）Marcus defined the methods to overcome obstacles: “Objective judgment， now at this very moment。 Unselfish action， now at this very moment。 Willing acceptance – now at this very moment – of all external events。 That’s all you need。”“Contingent Disciplines”To act wisely， develop these perspectives:1。 The Discipline of “Perception”How you see the world provides meaning to the events of your life。 Don’t assign “good or bad” labels to events。 Put aside your fears and prejudices。 See things for what they are。 See the truth， not a biased interpretation of it。“Bad companies are destroyed by crisis。 Good companies survive them。 Great companies are improved by them。” （former Intel CEO Andy Grove）Here are some tenets and examples of the power of perception:“Alter your perspective” – The American industrialist John D。 Rockefeller once worked for just 50 cents a day as a bookkeeper in Cleveland， Ohio。 As an investor， he rode out major national financial crises in 1857， 1873， 1907 and 1920。 Where others saw catastrophe and chaos， the objective， unemotional Rockefeller saw valuable lessons and opportunities。 So much so， that by 1877， his perception and his nerve helped him corner “90% of the oil market。”“Recognize your power” – During the 1960s， Rubin “Hurricane” Carter was a leading middleweight title contender。 Carter was unjustly convicted in a triple-homicide case。 In jail， he never ceded power to the warden or guards。 He maintained his independence and his identity。 Carter – and not the authorities – held control over his mind and spirit。 He spent his time in prison working on his legal case。 After 19 years， Carter got his verdict overturned。 Once released from prison， he never looked back。“Steady your nerves” – During the US Civil War， General Ulysses S。 Grant always seemed completely nerveless。 Once， a shell exploded near him， and killed a horse right next to him。 Unfazed， Grant calmly surveyed the battlefield through his field glasses。 He saw that his troops were removing supplies from a steamship when it exploded。 Everyone ducked for cover except Grant， who ran toward the shattered steamboat to help the survivors。“Control your emotions” – NASA trained America’s first astronauts to remain cool under pressure and to avoid panic。 The agency had the astronauts practice every aspect of their space flight “hundreds of times，” until the routines became commonplace。 Comprehensive training eliminated the unfamiliarity of spaceflight。“Is it up to you？” – Tommy John pitched in Major League Baseball for an astonishing 26 seasons。 John always asked himself: “Is there a chance？” “Do I have a shot？” “Is there something I can do？” When he was 45 years old， the Yankees cut John。 Unfazed， he appeared as a walk-on at the team’s next spring training。 He worked hard， made the team and pitched the season opener， a win over Minnesota。Lessons learned – Stay objective。 When necessary， change the way you interpret what you see。 Don’t agonize over the past or worry about the future。 Focus your thoughts and actions on the present。 Find the good in the bad。 Stay bold。2。 The Discipline of “Action”When you are deliberate， bold and persistent， you are better prepared to take “right and effective” actions。 Use the “creative application” of action to dismantle obstacles， as in these examples:“The voice of Athens” – When Demosthenes was young， his prospects were not favorable。 He was frail and sick and suffered a major speech impediment。 His guardians stole his inheritance。 But nothing knocked Demosthenes off his path “to become the greatest orator of Athens。” He constantly practiced oratory， often with his mouth full of pebbles。 Demosthenes practiced his speaking skills in private。 When he was ready， he filed suit against his guardians to retrieve his stolen money。 He prevailed in his legal battle， thanks to his stirring oratory。 Demosthenes became the voice of Athens， promoting the philosophy， “Action， action， action！”“Get moving” – Amelia Earhart’s goal was to become an accomplished pilot。 In her time， the 1920s， women were supposed to be dainty， even feeble。 Someone proposed that Earhart participate in “the first female transatlantic flight。” She wouldn’t fly the plane; a man would。 She accepted this embarrassing offer， but a few years later， she became the first woman to “fly solo nonstop across the Atlantic。”“Practice persistence” – Thomas Edison tried 6，000 different filaments before he created the first incandescent light。 Nikola Tesla “once sneered” at Edison’s perseverance， saying that if the inventor had to find a needle in a haystack， he would examine every straw。 Edison understood that some situations demand such persistence。“Follow the process” – Nick Saban， head coach of the University of Alabama’s powerhouse football team， follows what he calls “the process。” He tells his players， “Don’t think about winning the SEC Championship。 Don’t think about the national championship。 Think about what you need to do in this drill， on this play， in this moment。 That’s the process: Let’s think about what we can do today， the task at hand。” Pay attention to your process。 Take things “one step at a time。”“Use obstacles against themselves” – Gandhi’s fight for India’s independence was not a fight at all。 The British did “all of the fighting” and “all of the losing。” Through peaceful civil disobedience， Gandhi demonstrated that action doesn’t always mean performing like an army。 It can mean taking a stand and holding on to what is right。Lessons learned – Set out to develop the “Minimum Viable Product，” as identified by Silicon Valley’s iterative MVP philosophy。 Remember the engineering touchstone: “Failure is a feature。” Learn from every failure。 Treat your job like the most important work in the world。 Stay aware that sometimes a flank attack will work better than a head-on charge。 Like great athletes， try to operate “in the zone” by deliberately focusing。 Even so， you may not always win。 If you don’t， move boldly ahead to the next task。3。 The Discipline of “Will”The world can knock you down and break your heart。 But if you harness your willpower， no knockdown blow can deter you。 Your will – not anyone else’s – puts you firmly in charge of your life and accomplishments。 Proper willpower is steady， not blustery。 You connect to your internal power without braggadocio; the best strength of will springs from “humility， resilience and flexibility。” Examples of the power of the will include:Master your will – Abraham Lincoln exemplified willpower。 He grew up poor。 He was for many years a failed politician， facing multiple ballot-box defeats。 He suffered all his life from crippling depression， yet Lincoln had to lead the North through the bloody years of the American Civil War。 Because of his incredible willpower， he never let these problems derail him or cause him to lose hope。 No matter what the challenge， Lincoln endured， becoming the ideal president to head the US during its most calamitous， destructive period。“Build your inner citadel” – As a young boy， Theodore Roosevelt had severe asthma。 Nightly asthma attacks nearly killed him。 To build stamina， he worked out daily at a personal gym that his wealthy father built in their home。 His hard work paid off: By “his early 20s，” Roosevelt had fortified his body and won his life-and-death battle against asthma。 He called his gutsy fight “the Strenuous Life。” Roosevelt said， “We must all either wear out or rust out: everyone of us。 My choice is to wear out。”“Love everything that happens” – When he was 67， fire destroyed Thomas Edison’s “research and production” facilities。 His “priceless records， prototypes and research” went up in smoke。 Demonstrating amazing sangfroid， Edison’s reaction was， “It’s all right。 We’ve just got rid of a lot of rubbish。” Any other response – crying， shouting， smashing things – would have accomplished nothing。 Edison accepted his setback with grace， with a sense of lightheartedness。 When the fire struck， Edison told his son， “Get your mother and all her friends。 They’ll never see a fire like this again。”“Meditate on your mortality” – In 1569， French nobleman Michel de Montaigne nearly died after being thrown from a horse。 In a mystical moment， he felt his life slipping away – on the “tip of his lips。” This near-death experience energized Montaigne。 He became one of Europe’s most famous writers， a noted dignitary and a “confidante of the king。” He turned into an avid student of death， researching how people thought of it and what it meant in other cultures。 Eventually， death betrays everyone。 Use this knowledge to embrace your own mortality。 In the meantime， like Montaigne， make the best use of the time you have。“Prepare to start again” – As a Haitian saying holds， “Behind mountains are more mountains。” You may overcome numerous major obstacles， but that doesn’t get you off the hook。 More obstacles may emerge to block your path。 Accept this reality。 It’s life。Lessons learned – Postmortems are useful; so are pre-mortems – thinking in advance about “what could go wrong。” Sometimes you must simply acquiesce when things don’t go your way。 Adopt the attitude， “C’est la vie。 It’s all fine。” You are a part of the universe。 Try to make your little corner of it as fulfilling as possible。Stoicism: The Operating ManualAcross the centuries， academics in their ivory towers tried to assume ownership of philosophies such as Stoicism and tried to guard it as part of their exclusive domain。 As developed by Seneca， Zeno and others， the philosophy of Stoicism was never intended to be isolated as remote， sterile intellectualization。 Those sages first promulgated Stoicism as “an operating system for the difficulties and hardships of life，” and that is how it should remain。“Don’t let the force of an impression… knock you off your feet; just say to it: Hold on a moment; let me see who you are and what you represent。 Let me put you to the test。” （Epictetus）The immortal Epictetus， who overcame bitter slavery to become a renowned Stoic philosopher， gave the title Enchiridion to his famous manual of Stoic ethical advice。 Translated from the Greek， the title means “close at hand。” Epictetus and the other ancient Stoics regarded Stoicism as something “to be in your hands， to be an extension of you。” Marcus Aurelius put this concept another way: Stoicism makes people “boxers instead of fencers，” battling boldly and bravely against life’s difficulties， challenges and obstacles。 。。。more
Meghan
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You know that feeling of frustration when you realize a meeting you suffered through could have been an email？ This book could have been a 1。5 page paper。 If you like the idea of a white man telling you to “just push through！” while throwing examples of successful WW2 battles and sports heroes in your face then this is the book for you。 That frat boy in your philosophy class who read one quote he liked just decided he’s an expert on philosophy and can tell you all about it。 Two stars instead of You know that feeling of frustration when you realize a meeting you suffered through could have been an email？ This book could have been a 1。5 page paper。 If you like the idea of a white man telling you to “just push through！” while throwing examples of successful WW2 battles and sports heroes in your face then this is the book for you。 That frat boy in your philosophy class who read one quote he liked just decided he’s an expert on philosophy and can tell you all about it。 Two stars instead of one because there is some good advice in here。 But oh my god anyone who isn’t a straight white man is so sick and tired of hearing “just persevere！” through the discrimination。 Even the examples of perseverance that didn’t involve sports or battles were terrible， or at least the points Holiday highlighted were。 Amelia Earhart， who accepted a degrading and horribly sexist position to get her flying start。 Laura Ingals Wilder， who “survived Indian territory”。 Look， everyone can make their own decisions。 But why are we celebrating Amelia Earhart for that when the real issue is the fact that was her only option to become a pilot？ Why are we celebrating Wilder surviving in Native American territory as if they even wanted pioneers in the first place？ Seems like if only Native Americans would have “persevered！ Just work through it！” then they wouldn’t be so marginalized today。 You’d think that if you took this book seriously。 。。。more
Kerem Kayacan
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Kitabın her bir bölümünde öncelikle geçmişte başarılı olmuş şahsiyetlerin anekdotları anlatılmış， sonrasında zorluklar karşısında pes etmemek gerektiği çerçevesinde motive edici yorumlar yapılmış。 Böyle bir motivasyona ihtiyaç duyanlar için ilgi çekici olabilir， aksi halde okumaya değecek bir içerik yok。
Riddhi Kishnadwala
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The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph was on my TBR list for long， but somehow also got overlooked by some other books that came along。 When I picked it up finally， it was such a eye-opening enriching read。 The author， Ryan Holiday peppers the book with practical， real life examples of great men we look upon， bringing out the fact that they were not uniquely gifted， but chose to make the most of the diffculties they faced， emerging as winners and role models in The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph was on my TBR list for long， but somehow also got overlooked by some other books that came along。 When I picked it up finally， it was such a eye-opening enriching read。 The author， Ryan Holiday peppers the book with practical， real life examples of great men we look upon， bringing out the fact that they were not uniquely gifted， but chose to make the most of the diffculties they faced， emerging as winners and role models in the process。The book is divided into 3 parts， each with small， easy-to-read chapters， which provide a distinct opinion and strategy for perceiving， acting and enduring the problem at hand。 The author refrains from giving advice but simply explains the outlook that can be adopted， outlining how it can help without beseeching the reader to follow it right away。 I thoroughly enjoyed reading it， as it was very philosophical without being too preachy。 It is a must-read for everyone who likes self-help and this is a book that offers some very practical advice to that end。 。。。more
Renee Butler
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I listened to this as an audiobook while walking。 For that purpose， it’s awesome。 If you were reading it as a book， especially if you are a voracious reader， I could see it being repetitive or derivative。。。 but put this on and walk the dog or go for a run and it is perfect。 I loved hearing about business successes and receiving encouragement while being active。 5/5 for that purpose。
Jeronimo S
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Excelent and short book with timeless advice。 A great first intro to stoicism。
Autum Williams
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#bible
Kin Paquibo
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SB
Samy
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Favourite quotes:"Too often people think that will is how bad we want something。 In actuality， the will has a lot more to do with surrender than strength。 Try “God willing” over “the will to win” or “willing it into existence，” for even those attributes can be broken。 True will is quiet humility， resilience， and flexibility; the other kind of will is weakness disguised as bluster and ambition。 See which lasts longer under the hardest of obstacles。” “John Glenn， the first American astronaut to o Favourite quotes:"Too often people think that will is how bad we want something。 In actuality， the will has a lot more to do with surrender than strength。 Try “God willing” over “the will to win” or “willing it into existence，” for even those attributes can be broken。 True will is quiet humility， resilience， and flexibility; the other kind of will is weakness disguised as bluster and ambition。 See which lasts longer under the hardest of obstacles。” “John Glenn， the first American astronaut to orbit the earth， spent nearly a day in space still keeping his heart rate under a hundred beats per minute。 That’s a man not simply sitting at the controls but in control of his emotions。 A man who had properly cultivated， what Tom Wolfe later called， “the Right Stuff。” But you 。 。 。 confront a client or a stranger on the street and your heart is liable to burst out of your chest; or you are called on to address a crowd and your stomach crashes through the floor。 It’s time to realize that this is a luxury， an indulgence of our lesser self。 In space， the difference between life and death lies in emotional regulation。”“The extent of the struggle determines the extent of the growth。” 。。。more
Jinan
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The audiobook lacks soul。 The words， and the narrator both。That said， its a pretty good introduction to stoicism for someone not neck deep in it。
Shannon Callahan
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Different kindI would admittedly that this book brings in a different perspective。 In comparison to most of the bunch of self-help books in the market。 All of them are junk but not this one。 It may sound like a cliche of me but this book made the most sense of all。 I did touch in with some of the stoics in past but nothing concrete。 I’m glad that I had a chance to read this book。 Short but on point。
Quentin Wolfe
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A quick， good read， even for people who aren't typically interested in "self help" books。 I wasn't in a self help mood， but the stories in every chapter of famous historical characters & their parallels was what kept me going。 Even if they won't be completely applied， it's interesting to learn about different mindsets & how to reframe an unfortunate circumstance。 Might even check out a book on Stoicism at some point（29） A quick， good read， even for people who aren't typically interested in "self help" books。 I wasn't in a self help mood， but the stories in every chapter of famous historical characters & their parallels was what kept me going。 Even if they won't be completely applied， it's interesting to learn about different mindsets & how to reframe an unfortunate circumstance。 Might even check out a book on Stoicism at some point（29） 。。。more
Vahid
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