Here are the last books that I’ve read. Topics vary but are mainly about philosophy and personal development.
Author: Marcus Aurelius
Summary: The Meditations contains the day-to-day political thoughts of its author Marcus Aurelius. Considered by many as one of the great books of all times, they are basically the moral tenets. Many consider Meditations as the only document of its kind ever made. An intimate contact with the thoughts pursued by Aurelius during the troubling involvements of his reign can be acquired by reading the Meditations. It is a book of short sayings, varying from a sentence or two, to a long paragraph. It’s not organized by theme, but certain ideas keep popping up throughout, indicating that he thought them the most important for him to understand and incorporate into the way we live.
The book’s teachings were meant to be practiced and used. When the author speaks of the certainty of death and how relatively soon it will come, he is not philosophizing. He is recommending that this fact advises our decision-making. Throughout this book, Aurelius lists the character traits that include many examples worth following.
The 4-Hour Work Week: Escape The 9-5, Live Anywhere And Join The New Rich (Expanded and Updated)
Author: Timothy Ferriss
Year of publication: 2009 (Original edition: 2007)
Summary: More than 100 pages of new, cutting-edge content.Forget the old concept of retirement and the rest of the deferred-life plan there is no need to wait and every reason not to, especially in unpredictable economic times. Whether your dream is escaping the rat race, experiencing high-end world travel, earning a monthly five-figure income with zero management, or just living more and working less, The 4-Hour Workweek is the blueprint.This step-by-step guide to luxury lifestyle design How Tim went from $40,000 per year and 80 hours per week to $40,000 per month and 4 hours per week.How to outsource your life to overseas virtual assistants for $5 per hour and do whatever you wantHow blue-chip escape artists travel the world without quitting their jobsHow to eliminate 50% of your work in 48 hours using the principles of a forgotten Italian economistHow to trade a long-haul career for short work bursts and frequent mini-retirementsThe new expanded edition of Tim Ferriss The 4-Hour Workweek More than 50 practical tips and case studies from readers (including families) who have doubled income, overcome common sticking points, and reinvented themselves using the original book as a starting pointReal-world templates you can copy for eliminating e-mail, negotiating with bosses and clients, or getting a private chef for less than $8 a mealHow Lifestyle Design principles can be suited to unpredictable economic timesThe latest tools and tricks, as well as high-tech shortcuts, for living like a diplomat or millionaire without being either”
Be Useful: Seven tools for life
Author: Arnold Schwarzenegger
Summary: The seven rules to follow to realise your true purpose in life-distilled by Arnold Schwarzenegger from his own journey of ceaseless reinvention and extraordinary achievement, and available for absolutely anyone.
The world’s greatest bodybuilder. The world’s highest paid movie star. The leader of the world’s sixth largest economy. That these are the same person sounds like the setup to a joke. But this is no joke. This is Arnold Schwarzenegger. And this did not happen by accident.
Arnold’s stratospheric success happened as part of a process. As the result of clear vision, big thinking, hard work, direct communication, resilient problem-solving, open-minded curiosity, and a commitment to giving back. All of it guided by the one lesson Arnold’s father hammered into him above all: be useful. As Arnold conquered every realm he entered, he kept his father’s adage close to his heart.
Written with his uniquely earnest, blunt, powerful voice, BE USEFUL takes readers on an inspirational tour through Arnold’s toolkit for a meaningful life. Arnold shows us how to put those tools to work, in service of whatever fulfilling future we can dream up for ourselves. He brings his insights to vivid life with compelling personal stories, life-changing successes and life-threatening failures alike–some of them famous, some told here for the first time ever.
Too many of us struggle to disconnect from our self-pity and connect to our purpose. At an early age, Arnold forged the mental tools to build the ladder out of the poverty and narrow-mindedness of his rural Austrian hometown, tools he used to add rung after rung from there. Now he has shared that wisdom with all of us. As he puts it, no one is going to come rescue you — you only have yourself. The good news, it turns out, is that you are all you need.
21 Side Hustles You Can Start Now
Author: Henley Griffin
Year of publication: 2015
Summary: Are you looking for new ways to make some side income each month? Whether you need a couple hundred or a couple thousand dollars, this book offers you 21 side hustles that you can use to supercharge your finances starting TODAY. Learn how to make extra side money each month without spending a single cent to get started. You’ll find plenty of side hustle ideas that give you opportunities to make money online, work from home or in the local community. Some of these lucrative side hustles can even be turned into your own business. Whether you want to be a solopreneur or just make a little cash on the side, this book gives you 21 ideas to get started now.
Author: Sun Tzu
Year of publication: 2011
Summary: HarperCollins is proud to present its new range of best-loved, essential classics. ‘Opportunities multiply as they are seized.’ Written in the 6th century BC, Sun Tzu’s The Art of War is a Chinese military treatise that is still revered today as the ultimate commentary on war and military strategy. Focussing on the principle that one can outsmart your foe mentally by thinking very carefully about strategy before resorting to physical battle, this philosophy continues to be applied to the corporate and business world. Sun Tzu’s timeless appraisal of the different aspects of warfare are laid out in 13 chapters, including sections on ‘Laying Plans’, ‘Waging War’ and ‘Terrain’. Words that are as resonant today in every aspect of our lives as they were when he wrote them.
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living A Good Life
Author: Mark Manson
Year of publication: 2016
Summary: In this generation-defining self-help guide, a superstar blogger cuts through the crap to show us how to stop trying to be “positive” all the time so that we can truly become better, happier people.For decades, we’ve been told that positive thinking is the key to a happy, rich life. “F**k positivity,” Mark Manson says. “Let’s be honest, shit is f**ked and we have to live with it.” In his wildly popular Internet blog, Manson doesn’t sugarcoat or equivocate. He tells it like it is—a dose of raw, refreshing, honest truth that is sorely lacking today. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**k is his antidote to the coddling, let’s-all-feel-good mindset that has infected American society and spoiled a generation, rewarding them with gold medals just for showing up.Manson makes the argument, backed both by academic research and well-timed poop jokes, that improving our lives hinges not on our ability to turn lemons into lemonade, but on learning to stomach lemons better. Human beings are flawed and limited—”not everybody can be extraordinary, there are winners and losers in society, and some of it is not fair or your fault.” Manson advises us to get to know our limitations and accept them. Once we embrace our fears, faults, and uncertainties, once we stop running and avoiding and start confronting painful truths, we can begin to find the courage, perseverance, honesty, responsibility, curiosity, and forgiveness we seek.There are only so many things we can give a f**k about so we need to figure out which ones really matter, Manson makes clear. While money is nice, caring about what you do with your life is better, because true wealth is about experience. A much-needed grab-you-by-the-shoulders-and-look-you-in-the-eye moment of real-talk, filled with entertaining stories and profane, ruthless humor, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**k is a refreshing slap for a generation to help them lead contented, grounded lives.
Author: Virginie Despentes
Year of publication: 2022
Summary: « Cher connard,J’ai lu ce que tu as publié sur ton compte Insta. Tu es comme un pigeon qui m’aurait chié sur l’épaule en passant. C’est salissant, et très désagréable. Ouin ouin ouin je suis une petite baltringue qui n’intéresse personne et je couine comme un chihuahua parce que je rêve qu’on me remarque. Gloire aux réseaux sociaux : tu l’as eu, ton quart d’heure de gloire. La preuve : je t’écris. » Après le triomphe de sa trilogie Vernon Subutex, le grand retour de Virginie Despentes avec ces Liaisons dangereuses ultra-contemporaines.Roman de rage et de consolation, de colère et d’acceptation, où l’amitié se révèle plus forte que les faiblesses humaines…
Une Brève Histoire des Hackers Russes
Author: Daniil Turovsky
Year of publication: 2023
Summary: Les hackeurs russes ressemblent aux hackeurs du monde entier. Des passionnés tombés très jeunes dans la marmite et qui, un jour, découvrent qu’ils sont les maîtres d’un monde où l’on gagne des millions comme dans les rêves les plus fous d’un joueur dostoïevskien. Trop beau…Les États-Unis sont leur terrain de jeu jusqu’à ce que le FBI finisse par traquer ces pirates qui braquent les banques comme dans un western. Les gentils hackeurs sont devenus de redoutables cybercriminels, d’autant que, sur place en Russie, les services de sécurité ferment les yeux à condition qu’ils n’opèrent pas contre leur pays.Que le cyberespace recèle une infinité de possibilités de nuisance, de potentielles cyberarmes pour une cyberguerre imparable ne peut échapper au Kremlin. Les services secrets (FSB,GRU) avec leurs propres effectifs et la mobilisation des hackeurs du crime organisé, constituent bientôt une armada qu’on va voir à l’œuvre dans les premières guerres hybrides, en Géorgie, Ukraine… sans oublier les ingérences dans les élections américaines de 2016 où l’on découvre l’existence d’“usines à trolls” appartenant à un certain Prigojine.Dans sa “brève histoire”, Daniil Turovsky nous raconte par le menu comment on en est arrivé là. Son coup de génie est qu’en brossant le portrait des hackeurs les plus emblématiques, il a fait de chacun le chapitre d’un polar où la pègre côtoie et se mélange aux services secrets. Bref, une vue en coupe du régime poutinien dont on ne s’étonne pas qu’il mène une guerre aussi monstrueuse contre l’Ukraine.
The Get Things Done book: 41 Tools to Start and Finish Things
Author: Mikael Krogerus / Roman Tschäppeler
Year of publication: 2023
Summary: LEARN THE TECHNIQUES YOU NEED TO STOP PROCRASTINATING AND START GETTING THINGS DONE Every day we begin new projects, or try to find pleasure in the ones we’re working on – and above all, we hope one day we’ll finish them! But in a disjointed, distracting world it’s often hard to find the motivation and focus necessary. This compact book brings together 41 of the best productivity models. From world-famous techniques to the best-kept secrets of the professionals, this book is full of big ideas that actually work – distilled to their essence. You’ll find out how to achieve deep work, compartmentalise tasks and identify your priorities – as well as how to build confidence, find your circle of competence and even learn to work with difficult people. Stylish and compact, this little book is a powerful asset. Whether you need to pull off a new project, assess what you’ve achieved so far, or even just understand your own working habits, this unique book has all the tools you need.
Author: Sahil B.
Year of publication: 2023
Summary: Anyone can be a target today, be it a business website or personal blog. A minor security flaw could wipe out your entire website. So, is your WordPress website secure? WordPress Security Secrets Revealed is your must-have guide to securing your WordPress website. It introduces the various methods a hacker can use to infiltrate your website. You will learn to go beyond the default levels of security provided to strengthen your website further. Go the distance by securing your login, improved firewall, malware protection, and other cross-site cyberattacks. In addition, there is a detailed guide to choosing and securing your plugins and themes to avoid any potential leaks. You still stand a chance to lose everything if you do not monitor your website, for which step-by-step instructions have been provided. This handbook is essential for any WordPress website user to keep their websites secure. You will also get an additional case study of real-time threats and how they can be identified before you become their target.
Author: Loránt Deutsch
Year of publication: 2010
Summary: « Pour présenter mon livre Métronome, j ai arpenté la France du nord au sud, à la rencontre de mes lecteurs. Certains m ont demandé des précisions pour retrouver telle tour oubliée, tel morceau caché de la muraille de Philippe Auguste ou cette première cathédrale parisienne cachée sous un parking.Je me devais de leur donner à voir les traces de cette aventure de Paris, les restes des vingt et un siècles qui ont fait notre pays.Avec ce Métronome illustré, mon objectif est de vous permettre de découvrir facilement ce qui subsiste d un passé que nous croyons, parfois à tort, enfoui à jamais.Car lorsque les hommes ont oublié, les pierres, elles, se souviennent… »
The Pivot Year: 365 Days to Become the Person You Truly Want to Be
Author: Brianna Wiest
Year of publication: 2023
Summary: This is the year you change your life. If you’re in a pivot period—if you’re still bridging the space between where you are and where you want to be—remember that the person you’re becoming is already within you. The journey is convincing your mind to act consistently on what your heart already knows it wants to do. The Pivot Year is a book of 365 daily meditations on finding the courage to become who you’ve always wanted to be, from the internationally bestselling author of 101 Essays That Will Change The Way You Think, The Mountain Is You, and more.
The Computer: A History from the 17th Century to Today
Author: Jens Müller / Julius Wiedemann
Year of publication: 2023
Summary: A history from early calculating machines to todayThe story of the evolution of machines in computer history is full of the disruptive innovations that have led to today’s world. From the early beginnings of computing to the bulky mainframe to the personal computer era, we now live in an almost entirely digital age.The Computer explores steps from the first ideas of a calculating machine in the 19th century and early experiments with autonomous driving in the 1920s to oversized office computers in the 1950s to laptops and wearables of today. Jens Müller delivers a visual understanding of the emergence of the Information Age that hasn’t been shown before. Tracing the stories of tech visionaries, pioneers, and entrepreneurs, the book combines compelling visuals, historical documents, and in-depth explanations to reveal significant events in computer history. Encompassing the invention of machines, coding, and software development, as well as technology’s influence on today’s political landscape.This survey presents creations from Ada Lovelace, Charles Babbage, Alan Turing, Grace Hopper, Bill Gates, and Steve Jobs. Showcasing forgotten gadgets and prototypes connecting iconic products such as the Apple Macintosh and the Sony Play Station. As well as remembering milestones in software development, videogaming, and the web. Infographics explain wireless communication and other fundamental technical concepts, while the history of corporations such as IBM, Apple, Microsoft, Atari, Amazon, and Google is retraced through rare photographs and advertising campaigns.A fascinating read, this book acknowledges the computer’s stupendous power and social impact. For techies and everyone interested in culture, economics, politics, and science, it illustrates how we got here today and helps us ask better questions about where we will be tomorrow.
Author: Sri Aurobindo
Year of publication: 1988
Summary: Série de sept articles relatant certains épisodes durant la détention de Sri Aurobindo à la prison d’Alipore (1908-1909), et certaines de ses expériences spirituelles. Trois autres articles et le “discours d’Uttarpârâ” complètent ce récit.
Lives Of The Stoics: The Art of Living from Zeno to Marcus Aurelius
Author: Ryan Holiday
Year of publication: 2020
Summary: Bestselling author and marketing strategist Ryan Holiday reveals to creatives of all stripes—authors, entrepreneurs, musicians, filmmakers, fine artists–how a classic work is made and marketed.
In Hollywood, a movie is given a single weekend to succeed before being written off. In Silicon Valley, a startup is a failure if it doesn’t go viral or rake in venture capital from the start. In publishing, a book that took years to write is given less than three months to sink or swim. These brutally shortsighted attitudes have choked the world with instructions for engineering a flash-in-the-pan and littered the media landscape with fads and flops.
Meanwhile, the greats, the stalwarts, the household names, are those who focus on a singularly different, possibly heretical, idea: that their work can and should last. For instance, Zildjian has been one of the premier makers of cymbals since its founding in 1623–and shows no signs of quitting. Iron Maiden has filled stadiums for forty years, moving some 85 million albums without the help of radio or television. Robert Greene’s first book, The 48 Laws of Power, didn’t hit the bestseller lists until over a decade after it was first released, and since then has sold more than 1 million copies worldwide.
These works Ryan Holiday calls Perennial Sellers. They exist in every creative industry–timeless, dependable resources and unsung moneymakers, paying like blue chip annuities. Like gold or land, they increase in value over time, outlasting and outreaching any competition. And they’re not flukes or lucky breaks–they were built to last from the outset.
Holiday shows readers how to make and market their own classic work. Featuring interviews with some of the world’s greatest creatives, and grounded in a deep study of the classics in every genre, this exciting new book empowers readers with a foundational set of innovative principles. Whether you have a book or a business, a song or the next great screenplay, this book reveals the recipe for perennial success.
Perennial Seller: The Art of Making and Marketing Work that Lasts
Author: Ryan Holiday
Year of publication: 2017
Summary: Bestselling author and marketing strategist Ryan Holiday reveals to creatives of all stripes—authors, entrepreneurs, musicians, filmmakers, fine artists–how a classic work is made and marketed.
In Hollywood, a movie is given a single weekend to succeed before being written off. In Silicon Valley, a startup is a failure if it doesn’t go viral or rake in venture capital from the start. In publishing, a book that took years to write is given less than three months to sink or swim. These brutally shortsighted attitudes have choked the world with instructions for engineering a flash-in-the-pan and littered the media landscape with fads and flops.
Meanwhile, the greats, the stalwarts, the household names, are those who focus on a singularly different, possibly heretical, idea: that their work can and should last. For instance, Zildjian has been one of the premier makers of cymbals since its founding in 1623–and shows no signs of quitting. Iron Maiden has filled stadiums for forty years, moving some 85 million albums without the help of radio or television. Robert Greene’s first book, The 48 Laws of Power, didn’t hit the bestseller lists until over a decade after it was first released, and since then has sold more than 1 million copies worldwide.
These works Ryan Holiday calls Perennial Sellers. They exist in every creative industry–timeless, dependable resources and unsung moneymakers, paying like blue chip annuities. Like gold or land, they increase in value over time, outlasting and outreaching any competition. And they’re not flukes or lucky breaks–they were built to last from the outset.
Holiday shows readers how to make and market their own classic work. Featuring interviews with some of the world’s greatest creatives, and grounded in a deep study of the classics in every genre, this exciting new book empowers readers with a foundational set of innovative principles. Whether you have a book or a business, a song or the next great screenplay, this book reveals the recipe for perennial success.
For A New Liberty: The Libertarian Manifesto
Author: Murray N. Rothbard
Year of publication: 1973
Summary: A classic that for over two decades has been hailed as the best general work on libertarianism available. Rothbard begins with a quick overview of its historical roots, and then goes on to define libertarianism as resting “upon one single axiom: that no man or group of men shall aggress upon the person or property of anyone else.” He writes a withering critique of the chief violator of liberty: the State. Rothbard then provides penetrating libertarian solutions for many of today’s most pressing problems, including poverty, war, threats to civil liberties, the education crisis, and more.
Author: Daniel Smith
Year of publication: 2015
Summary: Famed for creating some of the most iconic images in European art – including Mona Lisa and The Last Supper – Leonardo da Vinci has influenced generations of artists and thinkers, and continues to do so after more than 500 years. While we cannot hope to emulate his achievements, da Vinci showed an attitude towards life from which we can all learn. A true polymath, he was also a sculptor, architect, musician, mathematician, engineer and an anatomist and, with an unquenchable thirst for knowledge, da Vinci was never satisfied with what he had learned, frequently turning his mind to new, unexplored subjects. He saw links between art and science, and constantly pursued perfection and accuracy in his work, so that he developed many techniques we continue to use to this day. Combining these strengths with a unique imagination, da Vinci came up with designs for inventions centuries ahead of their time. In How to Think Like da Vinci, you too can learn to think like the Renaissance man, seize your opportunities, harness your talents, innovate and experiment and imagine the impossible. Read about this great man’s life and achievements and develop your understanding of one of the world’s most eclectic and extraordinary minds.
A Brief History of Time: From Big Bang to Black Holes (Updated edition)
Author: Stephen Hawking
Year of publication: 2009 (Original edition: 1988)
Summary: Was there a beginning of time? Could time run backwards? Is the universe infinite or does it have boundaries?These are just some of the questions considered in the internationally acclaimed masterpiece by the world renowned physicist – generally considered to have been one of the world’s greatest thinkers.It begins by reviewing the great theories of the cosmos from Newton to Einstein, before delving into the secrets which still lie at the heart of space and time, from the Big Bang to black holes, via spiral galaxies and strong theory. To this day A Brief History of Time remains a staple of the scientific canon, and its succinct and clear language continues to introduce millions to the universe and its wonders.This new edition includes updates from Stephen Hawking with his latest thoughts about the No Boundary Proposal and offers new information about dark energy, the information paradox, eternal inflation, the microwave background radiation observations, and the discovery of gravitational waves.It was published in tandem with the app, Stephen Hawking’s Pocket Universe.’This book marries a child’s wonder to a genius’s intellect. We journey into Hawking’s universe while marvelling at his mind.’ The Sunday Times
Author: Collin Barras
Year of publication: 2018
Summary: With Science Hacks, you no longer need a PhD to understand the fascinating ideas behind science’s greatest theories and discoveries. This latest addition to the ingenious new Hacks series will show you a technique for understanding and, crucially, remembering 100 of the most important and most interesting scientific theories from throughout the ages.On each topic, you’ll start with a helicopter overview of the subject, which will give you an introduction to the idea and some context surrounding it. Next, you’ll zoom in on the core elements of the theory, with clear explanation of each point to make sure you really understand the concept before finally, you’ll be given a one-liner hack to really make the theory stick in your mind.Includes such topics and fields as:Particle PhysicsEvolutionary BiologyGeneticsMedicineChemistryEcology
Courage is Calling: Fortune Favors the Brave
Author: Ryan Holiday
Year of publication: 2021
Summary: The instant New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestseller!Ryan Holiday’s bestselling trilogy–The Obstacle Is the Way, Ego is the Enemy, and Stillness is the Key–captivated professional athletes, CEOs, politicians, and entrepreneurs and helped bring Stoicism to millions of readers. Now, in the first book of an exciting new series on the cardinal virtues of ancient philosophy, Holiday explores the most foundational virtue of all: Courage.Almost every religion, spiritual practice, philosophy and person grapples with fear. The most repeated phrase in the Bible is “Be not afraid.” The ancient Greeks spoke of phobos, panic and terror. It is natural to feel fear, the Stoics believed, but it cannot rule you. Courage, then, is the ability to rise above fear, to do what’s right, to do what’s needed, to do what is true. And so it rests at the heart of the works of Marcus Aurelius, Aristotle, and CS Lewis, alongside temperance, justice, and wisdom.In Courage Is Calling, Ryan Holiday breaks down the elements of fear, an expression of cowardice, the elements of courage, an expression of bravery, and lastly, the elements of heroism, an expression of valor. Through engaging stories about historic and contemporary leaders, including Charles De Gaulle, Florence Nightingale, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Holiday shows you how to conquer fear and practice courage in your daily life.You’ll also delve deep into the moral dilemmas and courageous acts of lesser-known, but equally as important, figures from ancient and modern history, such as Helvidius Priscus, a Roman Senator who stood his ground against emperor Vespasian, even in the face of death; Frank Serpico, a former New York City Police Department Detective who exposed police corruption; and Frederick Douglass and a slave named Nelly, whose fierce resistance against her captors inspired his own crusade to end slavery.In a world in which fear runs rampant–when people would rather stand on the sidelines than speak out against injustice, go along with convention than bet on themselves, and turn a blind eye to the ugly realities of modern life–we need courage more than ever. We need the courage of whistleblowers and risk takers. We need the courage of activists and adventurers. We need the courage of writers who speak the truth–and the courage of leaders to listen.We need you to step into the arena and fight.
The Miracle Morning: The 6 Habits that will Transform your Life before 8am
Author: Ryan Holiday
Year of publication: 2018
Summary: What’s being widely regarded as “one of the most life changing books ever written” may be the simplest approach to achieving everything you’ve ever wanted, and faster than you ever thought possible’Hal Elrod is a genius and his book The Miracle Morning has been magical in my life’ Robert Kiyosaki, bestselling author of Rich Dad Poor DadWhat if you could wake up tomorrow and any – or EVERY – area of your life was beginning to transform? What would you change? The Miracle Morning is already transforming the lives of tens of thousands of people around the world by showing them how to wake up each day with more ENERGY, MOTIVATION, and FOCUS to take your life to the next level. It’s been right here in front of us all along, but this book has finally brought it to life.Are you ready? The next chapter of YOUR life-the most extraordinary life you’ve ever imagined-is about to begin. It’s time to WAKE UP to your full potential…’Every once in a while, you read a book that changes the way you look at life, but it is so rare to find a book that changes the way you live your life’ Tim Sanders, New York Times bestselling author of The Likeability Factor‘To read The Miracle Morning is to give yourself the gift of waking up each day to your full potential. It’s time to stop putting off creating the life you want and deserve to live. Read this book and find out how’ Dr Ivan Misner, CEO and Founder of BNI®
Author: Ryan Holiday
Year of publication: 2019
Summary: In The Obstacle Is the Way and Ego Is the Enemy, bestselling author Ryan Holiday made ancient wisdom wildly popular with a new generation of leaders in sports, politics, and technology. In his new book, Stillness Is the Key, Holiday draws on timeless Stoic and Buddhist philosophy to show why slowing down is the secret weapon for those charging ahead.All great leaders, thinkers, artists, athletes, and visionaries share one indelible quality. It enables them to conquer their tempers. To avoid distraction and discover great insights. To achieve happiness and do the right thing. Ryan Holiday calls it stillness–to be steady while the world spins around you.In this book, he outlines a path for achieving this ancient, but urgently necessary way of living. Drawing on a wide range of history’s greatest thinkers, from Confucius to Seneca, Marcus Aurelius to Thich Nhat Hanh, John Stuart Mill to Nietzsche, he argues that stillness is not mere inactivity, but the doorway to self-mastery, discipline, and focus.Holiday also examines figures who exemplified the power of stillness: baseball player Sadaharu Oh, whose study of Zen made him the greatest home run hitter of all time; Winston Churchill, who in balancing his busy public life with time spent laying bricks and painting at his Chartwell estate managed to save the world from annihilation in the process; Fred Rogers, who taught generations of children to see what was invisible to the eye; Anne Frank, whose journaling and love of nature guided her through unimaginable adversity.More than ever, people are overwhelmed. They face obstacles and egos and competition. Stillness Is the Key offers a simple but inspiring antidote to the stress of 24/7 news and social media. The stillness that we all seek is the path to meaning, contentment, and excellence in a world that needs more of it than ever.
Ego Is the Enemy: The Fight to Master our Greatest Opponent
Author: Ryan Holiday
Year of publication: 2016
Summary: “While the history books are filled with tales of obsessive, visionary geniuses who remade the world in their image with sheer, almost irrational force, I’ve found that history is also made by individuals who fought their egos at every turn, who eschewed the spotlight, and who put their higher goals above their desire for recognition.” – from the PrologueMany of us insist the main impediment to a full, successful life is the outside world. In fact, the most common enemy lies within: our ego. Early in our careers, it impedes learning and the cultivation of talent. With success, it can blind us to our faults and sow future problems. In failure, it magnifies each blow and makes recovery more difficult. At every stage, ego holds us back.The Ego is the Enemy draws on a vast array of stories and examples, from literature to philosophy to history. We meet fascinating figures like Howard Hughes, Katharine Graham, Bill Belichick, and Eleanor Roosevelt, all of whom reached the highest levels of power and success by conquering their own egos. Their strategies and tactics can be ours as well.But why should we bother fighting ego in an era that glorifies social media, reality TV, and other forms of shameless self-promotion? Armed with the lessons in this book, as Holiday writes, “you will be less invested in the story you tell about your own specialness, and as a result, you will be liberated to accomplish the world-changing work you’ve set out to achieve.”
The Obstacle is the Way: The Ancient Art of Turning Trials into Triumph
Author: Ryan Holiday
Year of publication: 2014
Summary: “The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.” — Marcus AureliusWe 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.
The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living
Author: Ryan Holiday
Year of publication: 2016
Summary: The beloved classic daily devotional of Stoic meditations—the only authorized print edition in the US and complete with a ribbon marker—with more than two million copies sold!Why have history’s greatest minds—from George Washington to Frederick the Great to Ralph Waldo Emerson, along with today’s top performers from Super Bowl-winning football coaches to CEOs and celebrities—embraced the wisdom of the ancient Stoics? Because they realize that the most valuable wisdom is timeless and that philosophy is for living a better life, not a classroom exercise.The Daily Stoic offers 366 days of Stoic insights and exercises, featuring all-new translations from the Emperor Marcus Aurelius, the playwright Seneca, or slave-turned-philosopher Epictetus, as well as lesser-known luminaries like Zeno, Cleanthes, and Musonius Rufus. Every day of the year you’ll find one of their pithy, powerful quotations, as well as historical anecdotes, provocative commentary, and a helpful glossary of Greek terms.By following these teachings over the course of a year (and, indeed, for years to come) you’ll find the serenity, self-knowledge, and resilience you need to live well.