A review by jimmy1087
The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials Into Triumph by Ryan Holiday
4.0
Ryan H. is the one who formally introduces Stoicism to me, I have seen his videos on youtube, and he got me engaged when I heard the interview with Tim Ferris.
That said, I must confess as well, that I expected a deeper level of analysis and explanation with the stories chosen by Ryan to explain stoic concepts. But hey, maybe the tenets of the philosophy are as straight forward as he proclaims them to be and there is no need in walking around the bush to convince people.
I think this book deserves a second round in a couple of years. Specifically, the concept pushed through the whole book, "The obstacle is the way" is an inspiring standpoint of view, one that can frequently be used to reframe challenges in our daily lives. Cause, there is one universal truth, we never know when a black swan is around the corner, and so it is better to be mentally prepared.
Before a second read, I must take a look at Ryans recommendations, that he repeatedly suggests: "Meditations of Marcus Aurelius" and "Letters from a Stoic" by Seneca.
On balance, I think this is an excellent introductory book to Stoicism, with notable references to great minds like Seneca, Epictetus, and the great Marcus Aurelius.
That said, I must confess as well, that I expected a deeper level of analysis and explanation with the stories chosen by Ryan to explain stoic concepts. But hey, maybe the tenets of the philosophy are as straight forward as he proclaims them to be and there is no need in walking around the bush to convince people.
I think this book deserves a second round in a couple of years. Specifically, the concept pushed through the whole book, "The obstacle is the way" is an inspiring standpoint of view, one that can frequently be used to reframe challenges in our daily lives. Cause, there is one universal truth, we never know when a black swan is around the corner, and so it is better to be mentally prepared.
Before a second read, I must take a look at Ryans recommendations, that he repeatedly suggests: "Meditations of Marcus Aurelius" and "Letters from a Stoic" by Seneca.
On balance, I think this is an excellent introductory book to Stoicism, with notable references to great minds like Seneca, Epictetus, and the great Marcus Aurelius.