Ryan Holiday is one of the leading modern-day authors on Stoic philosophy. If you’re new to, or curious about Stoicism, he’s a great first step into a philosophy that is as relevant today as it was in ancient Greece. Holiday is not only an author, he’s also a public speaker, public-relations strategist, and bookstore owner. His writing career took off with the publication of an expose on the world of online journalism, Trust Me, I’m Lying. A few years later, the author wrote began publishing a collection of books, grounded in Stoic philosophy. He has an uncanny ability to bring this ancient philosophy into the modern day, applying it to any of life’s obstacles. His latest book, Courage is calling Fortune favours the brave, has recently arrived at the library; if you're waiting to get your hands on a copy, we have a few of Holiday’s books at the library, check them out below!
Courage is calling: Fortune favours the brave
Nothing is possible without the virtue of courage. Form the ancient Spartans to the Civil Rights Movement, from pioneering scientists to mould-breaking CEOs, from Charles de Gaulle to Florence Nightingale, leaders across history have always found greatness because of the risks they dared to take. But today so many of us are paralysed by fear. In this first book in a new series examining the timeless Stoic virtues, Ryan Holiday shows why courage is so important, and how to cultivate it in our own lives. Drawing on the actions of those who have answered the call of destiny, Holiday shows how we, too, can step forward while others step back. Because courage has never just been rushing into battle: it's also about doing the right thing, braving convention and standing up for what you believe; it's creativity, generosity and perseverance. And it is the only way to live an extraordinary, fulfilled and effective life. Everything in life starts with courage. This book will equip you with the bravery to begin.
It's wrecked the careers of promising young geniuses. It's evaporated great fortunes and run companies into the ground. It's made adversity unbearable and turned struggle into shame. Every great philosopher has warned against it, in our most lasting stories and countless works of art, in all culture and all ages. Its name? Ego, and it is the enemy - of ambition, of success and of resilience. In Ego is the Enemy, Ryan Holiday shows us how and why ego is such a powerful internal opponent to be guarded against at all stages of our careers and lives, and that we can only create our best work when we identify, acknowledge and disarm its dangers.
The Daily Stoic: 366 meditations on wisdom, perseverance, and the art of living
'No role is so well suited to philosophy as the one you happen to be in right now.' - Marcus Aurelius
This book is rooted in stoicism, a branch of philosophy, founded in Ancient Greece. The most well-known stoics were Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, the Roman stoic philosopher Seneca and the Greek stoic philosopher Epictetus.
It is presented in a ‘page-per-day’ format designed to inspire you to reflect on the day, applying translations of Stoic philosophy to reframe any obstacles you encountered. It serves as a guide, featuring twelve Stoic principles, to help bring balance, insight, and serenity to your day-to-day experiences.
The Obstacle is the Way: The ancient art of turning adversity to advantage
We give up too easily. With a simple change of attitude, what seem like insurmountable obstacles become once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. Ryan Holiday, who dropped out of college at nineteen to serve as an apprentice to bestselling 'modern Machiavelli' Robert Greene and is now a media consultant for billion-dollar brands, draws on the philosophy of the Stoics to guide you in every situation, showing that what blocks our path actually opens one that is new and better. If the competition threatens you, it's time to be fearless, to display your courage. An impossible deadline becomes a chance to show how dedicated you are. And as Ryan discovered as Director of Marketing for American Apparel, if your brand is generating controversy - it's also potentially generating publicity. The Stoic philosophy - that what is in the way, is the way - can be applied to any problem: it's a formula invented more than 2,000 years ago, whose effectiveness has been proven in battles and board rooms ever since. From Barack Obama's ability to overcome obstacles in his election races, to the design of the iPhone, the stoic philosophy has helped its users become world-beaters.