The Daily Stoic
Book Recommendations

The Daily Stoic

For centuries, all sorts of people—generals and politicians, athletes and coaches, writers and leaders—have looked to the teachings of Stoicism to help guide their lives. Each day, author and speaker Ryan Holiday brings you a new lesson about life, inspired by the thoughts and writings of great Stoi...

Episodes 2,240
Books 1,272
Ducks, Newburyport Cover

Lucy Ellmann

Ducks, Newburyport

This book was recently published by Biblioasis, the publisher of The Notebook.

"

They recently published Ducks Newbury port, so they're not afraid of a big baggy book.

— Episode: Paper Trails: How Notebooks Changed The...

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Episode: Paper Trails: How Notebooks Changed The World | Ro...

This book was recently published by Biblioasis, the publisher of The Notebook.

"

They recently published Ducks Newbury port, so they're not afraid of a big baggy book.

Finding Ultra: Rejecting Middle Age, Becoming One of the World's Fittest Men, and Discovering Myself Cover

Rich Roll

Finding Ultra

Rejecting Middle Age, Becoming One of the World's Fittest Men, and Discovering Myself

Rich Roll's father-in-law was reading "Finding Ultra" which he had picked up at a bookstore.

"

I'm reading Rich Roll's Finding Ultra, which he had gotten from the bookstore.

— Episode: Quietly Chasing Dreams & The Secret To M...

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Episode: Quietly Chasing Dreams & The Secret To Momentum |...

Rich Roll's father-in-law was reading "Finding Ultra" which he had picked up at a bookstore.

"

I'm reading Rich Roll's Finding Ultra, which he had gotten from the bookstore.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians Hardcover Boxed Set (Percy Jackson & the Olympians) Cover

Rick Riordan

Percy Jackson and the Olympians Hardcover Boxed Set (Percy Jackson & the Olympians)

Ryan's son is reading the *Percy Jackson* series. It is based on Greek mythology.

"

But they're all about Greek gods who are still alive.

— Episode: Commitment Devices For Creating Lasting...

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Episode: Commitment Devices For Creating Lasting Change | K...

Ryan's son is reading the *Percy Jackson* series. It is based on Greek mythology.

"

But they're all about Greek gods who are still alive.

Percy Jackson?

Yes, yes. Percy Jackson.

Yes. Which is also, you know, tons of things still anyway.

Tell Me Your Life Story, Mom: A Mother’s Guided Journal and Memory Keepsake Book (Tell Me Your Life Story® Series Books) Cover

Questions About Me

Tell Me Your Life Story, Mom

A Mother’s Guided Journal and Memory Keepsake Book (Tell Me Your Life Story® Series Books)

The author mentioned this book in the context of discussing Stoics making the wrong call in historical moments.

"

We have a podcast about this actually, Tell the Story and Write Thing, right now as well.

— Episode: It Could Just As Easily Be Us… | Stoicis...

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Episode: It Could Just As Easily Be Us… | Stoicism's Formul...

The author mentioned this book in the context of discussing Stoics making the wrong call in historical moments.

"

We have a podcast about this actually, Tell the Story and Write Thing, right now as well.

On The Tranquility Of The Mind Cover

Seneca

On The Tranquility Of The Mind

Seneca believed that we should take frequent wandering walks, because constant work will fracture our minds. He says that the mind must be given relaxation, it will rise improved and sharper after a good break, just as rich fields must not be forced for they will quickly lose their fertility if never given a break.

"

We should take wandering walks so that the mind might be nourished and refreshed by the open air and deep breathing.

— Episode: Avoid This Form Of Insanity | Take A Wal...

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Episode: Avoid This Form Of Insanity | Take A Walk

Seneca believed that we should take frequent wandering walks, because constant work will fracture our minds. He says that the mind must be given relaxation, it will rise improved and sharper after a good break, just as rich fields must not be forced for they will quickly lose their fertility if never given a break.

"

We should take wandering walks so that the mind might be nourished and refreshed by the open air and deep breathing.

The mind must be given relaxation, it will rise improved and sharper after a good break, just as rich fields must not be forced for they will quickly lose their fertility if never given a break.

Frank Capra: Castastrophe of Success Cover

Joseph McBride

Frank Capra

Castastrophe of Success

Tennessee Williams's book, "The Catastrophe of Success", talks about the part of the catastrophe was the removal of struggle.

"

In that Tennessee Williams... Oh, The Catastrophe of Success. He talks about the part of the catastrophe was the removal of struggle is what he talks about.

— Episode: The Hardest Book Ryan Holiday Has Writte...

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Episode: The Hardest Book Ryan Holiday Has Written | Right...

Tennessee Williams's book, "The Catastrophe of Success", talks about the part of the catastrophe was the removal of struggle.

"

In that Tennessee Williams... Oh, The Catastrophe of Success. He talks about the part of the catastrophe was the removal of struggle is what he talks about.

The Case for Christ: A Journalist's Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus Cover

Lee Strobel

The Case for Christ

A Journalist's Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus

The book was about historical facts related to Jesus and it was sufficient evidence for the speaker to believe in what he was told about Jesus' existence and resurrection when he was younger.

"

I believe after I read Case for Christ, that book by Lee Strobel, I do, I am actually, I'm a big historical facts guy. And I do believe that there was enough evidence in there for me to be like, this...

— Episode: The Cost of Chasing Success | Chris Dist...

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Episode: The Cost of Chasing Success | Chris Distefano

The book was about historical facts related to Jesus and it was sufficient evidence for the speaker to believe in what he was told about Jesus' existence and resurrection when he was younger.

"

I believe after I read Case for Christ, that book by Lee Strobel, I do, I am actually, I'm a big historical facts guy. And I do believe that there was enough evidence in there for me to be like, this is enough that I feel like I should believe what I was told by the priests and nuns when I was little.

And I do believe that there was enough evidence in there for me to be like, this is enough that I feel like I should believe what I was told by the priests and nuns when I was little. This is what I should--they weren't all wrong.

The Book of Five Rings Cover

Miyamoto Musashi

The Book of Five Rings

The speaker mentioned this book as an example of Stoic philosophy resonating across cultures.

"

And we've got The Book of Five Rings.

— Episode: Do You Really Have Time For This? | GitH...

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Episode: Do You Really Have Time For This? | GitHub Q&A

The speaker mentioned this book as an example of Stoic philosophy resonating across cultures.

"

And we've got The Book of Five Rings.

12 Questions for Love: A Guide to Intimate Conversations and Deeper Relationships Cover

Topaz Adizes

12 Questions for Love

A Guide to Intimate Conversations and Deeper Relationships

The speaker was excited to interview the author of this book, which is about intimate conversation and building deeper relationships.

"

And he wrote this book, it's called 12 Questions for Love, a Guide to Intimate Conversations and Deeper Relationships.

— Episode: The Art of Asking Questions for Deeper C...

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Episode: The Art of Asking Questions for Deeper Connection...

The speaker was excited to interview the author of this book, which is about intimate conversation and building deeper relationships.

"

And he wrote this book, it's called 12 Questions for Love, a Guide to Intimate Conversations and Deeper Relationships.

Encyclopedia of Greek and Roman Mythology (Facts on File Library of Religion and Mythology) Cover

Luke Roman

Encyclopedia of Greek and Roman Mythology (Facts on File Library of Religion and Mythology)

Marcus Aurelius kept a collection of stories about the ancient Greeks and Romans and their virtues, in a book called The Deeds of the Ancient Greeks and Romans.

"

And Marcus himself, it looks like, kept his own version of this kind of book called The Deeds of the Ancient Greeks and Romans alongside his more famous meditations where he noted what he admired abou...

— Episode: Let These Make You Better | Bastrop Libr...

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Episode: Let These Make You Better | Bastrop Library Q&A

Marcus Aurelius kept a collection of stories about the ancient Greeks and Romans and their virtues, in a book called The Deeds of the Ancient Greeks and Romans.

"

And Marcus himself, it looks like, kept his own version of this kind of book called The Deeds of the Ancient Greeks and Romans alongside his more famous meditations where he noted what he admired about his predecessors.

Courage Cover

Bernard Waber

Courage

Ryan Holiday mentions this book and states that it was published in 2021.

"

Then I started The Courage Book, which came out in 2021. Thank you to everyone that read that.

— Episode: Bro-icism vs Stoicism | Donald Robertson...

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Episode: Bro-icism vs Stoicism | Donald Robertson PT 2

Ryan Holiday mentions this book and states that it was published in 2021.

"

Then I started The Courage Book, which came out in 2021. Thank you to everyone that read that.

The Discipline Book: Everything You Need to Know to Have a Better-Behaved Child : For Birth to Age Ten Cover

William Sears

The Discipline Book

Everything You Need to Know to Have a Better-Behaved Child

Ryan Holiday mentions that he finished writing this book and it was published in 2022.

"

Then I started The Courage Book, which came out in 2021. Thank you to everyone that read that. The Discipline Book, which came out in 22.

— Episode: Bro-icism vs Stoicism | Donald Robertson...

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Episode: Bro-icism vs Stoicism | Donald Robertson PT 2

Ryan Holiday mentions that he finished writing this book and it was published in 2022.

"

Then I started The Courage Book, which came out in 2021. Thank you to everyone that read that. The Discipline Book, which came out in 22.

The Conquest of Happiness (Routledge Classics) Cover

Bertrand Russell

The Conquest of Happiness (Routledge Classics)

Ryan Holiday was giving an example of a book which might be suitable for a certain audience, and suggested it might be perfect for some people but not others.

"

You wouldn't take Bertrand Russell's Conquest of Happiness and give it to a nine year old school girl.

— Episode: Bro-icism vs Stoicism | Donald Robertson...

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Episode: Bro-icism vs Stoicism | Donald Robertson PT 2

Ryan Holiday was giving an example of a book which might be suitable for a certain audience, and suggested it might be perfect for some people but not others.

"

You wouldn't take Bertrand Russell's Conquest of Happiness and give it to a nine year old school girl.

Man's Search for Meaning Cover

Viktor E. Frankl

Man's Search for Meaning

This book was mentioned as an example of how to relate to suffering, and it was said that Frankl's writings on Stoicism were relevant.

"

And I think Viktor Frankl talks about this probably most beautifully of anyone sort of in the modern era, writing about Stoicism when these things happen, when terrible things, tragic things, painful...

— Episode: There’s A Reason People Like This Line |...

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Episode: There’s A Reason People Like This Line | Ask DS

This book was mentioned as an example of how to relate to suffering, and it was said that Frankl's writings on Stoicism were relevant.

"

And I think Viktor Frankl talks about this probably most beautifully of anyone sort of in the modern era, writing about Stoicism when these things happen, when terrible things, tragic things, painful things happen, it's not like, Oh, this is a great opportunity to, to transform or to do this or that it, it can be a chance to be heroic.

The Pursuit of Happiness: How Classical Writers on Virtue Inspired the Lives of the Founders and Defined America Cover

Jeffrey Rosen

The Pursuit of Happiness

How Classical Writers on Virtue Inspired the Lives of the Founders and Defined America

This book explores how classical writers on virtue, primarily the Stoics, inspired the lives of the Founding Fathers and defined America. It specifically examines how the Stoics taught the founders about the pursuit of happiness.

"

So when I saw Jeffrey Rosen's new book, I was like, finally, it's called The Pursuit of Happiness, How Classical Writers on Virtue Inspired the Lives of the Founders and Defined Ameri...

— Episode: How The Greats Pursue Happiness | Jeffre...

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Episode: How The Greats Pursue Happiness | Jeffrey Rosen

This book explores how classical writers on virtue, primarily the Stoics, inspired the lives of the Founding Fathers and defined America. It specifically examines how the Stoics taught the founders about the pursuit of happiness.

"

So when I saw Jeffrey Rosen's new book, I was like, finally, it's called The Pursuit of Happiness, How Classical Writers on Virtue Inspired the Lives of the Founders and Defined America.

And when he's talking about classical writers on virtue, he's largely talking about the Stoics.

In fact, he's almost exclusively talking about the Stoics and it's a fascinating book.

He talks about Franklin and Washington and Adams and Jefferson and Madison, Hamilton, and what The Pursuit of Happiness meant to them and specifically what the Stoics taught them about this.

It's a super important book.

Your Money or Your Life: 9 Steps to Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Achieving Financial Independence: Fully Revised and Updated for 2018 Cover

Vicki Robin

Your Money or Your Life

9 Steps to Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Achieving Financial Independence

The book is mentioned in passing as a catalyst to understanding the concept of 'enough' and how being dissatisfied with your current situation leads to feeling poor regardless of your actual financial status.

"

That book really cracked my head open and how if you don't set that, if you don't understand a concept, it's never enough, you're always poor.

— Episode: Optimizing Your Relationship With Money...

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Episode: Optimizing Your Relationship With Money | Bill Per...

The book is mentioned in passing as a catalyst to understanding the concept of 'enough' and how being dissatisfied with your current situation leads to feeling poor regardless of your actual financial status.

"

That book really cracked my head open and how if you don't set that, if you don't understand a concept, it's never enough, you're always poor.

Deliver Me from Nowhere: The Making of Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska Cover

Warren Zanes

Deliver Me from Nowhere

The Making of Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska

This book was highly recommended but was not explicitly described.

"

You already got Deliver Me from Nowhere. Have you, you just haven't read it yet?

— Episode: Steven Pressfield Painted Porch Book Tou...

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Episode: Steven Pressfield Painted Porch Book Tour

This book was highly recommended but was not explicitly described.

"

You already got Deliver Me from Nowhere. Have you, you just haven't read it yet?

Note: The book recommendations on this page are discovered automatically from podcast transcripts, and may be incorrect or incomplete.