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Ryan Holiday's Reading List

Stoic author (The Obstacle Is the Way, Stillness Is the Key). Runs the Reading List Email and posts annual best-of-year roundups.

Ryan Holiday's Best Books of 2024 (2024)

Annual roundup of the books Holiday loved most that year.

Source: ryanholiday.net

Tunnel 29: The True Story of an Extraordinary Escape Beneath the Berlin Wall

Helena Merriman · 2021 · Buy on Amazon

"Incredible. I sometimes had to get up and walk around while reading."

Night of the Grizzlies

Jack Olsen · 1969 · Buy on Amazon

"A riveting story that deserves to be much more well-known."

James

Percival Everett · 2024 · Buy on Amazon

"Wonderful perspective and deeply moving."

Papyrus: The Invention of Books in the Ancient World

Irene Vallejo · 2019 · Buy on Amazon

"I am in awe of how the author makes an unlikely subject utterly fascinating."

The Notebook: A History of Thinking on Paper

Roland Allen · 2023 · Buy on Amazon

"A lovely book about one of history's most transformative technologies."

Lincoln at Gettysburg: The Words that Remade America

Garry Wills · 1992 · Buy on Amazon

"This book, exploring the power of words to shape history, fits Ryan Holiday's interest in timeless wisdom and the practical application of philosophy in leadership. It aligns with his work on Stoicism and its lessons for navigating challenges."

Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout

Cal Newport · 2024 · Buy on Amazon

"Newport's focus on sustainable accomplishment without burnout aligns with Holiday's work on Stoicism and finding stillness amidst modern demands. It's an expected read for someone exploring intentional living and productivity."

Marcus Aurelius: The Stoic Emperor

Donald J. Robertson · 2024 · Buy on Amazon

"This biography of Marcus Aurelius, a central figure in Stoicism, is an expected read for someone exploring the philosophy, aligning with Ryan Holiday's work on ancient wisdom for modern life."

Books from The Daily Stoic: What It Takes To ACTUALLY Be Successful | Mark Manson and Ryan Holiday (2025)

Extracted via LLM (gemini-2.5-flash) from auto-captions of The Daily Stoic (2025-10-10).

Source: www.youtube.com

The Years of Lyndon Johnson

Robert Caro · Buy on Amazon

"In the Robert Carroll books on Lyndon Johnson, he talks about he's like, "I got it, but I have it on a leash.""

Die with Zero

Unknown · Buy on Amazon

"And uh that book Die with Zero, he talks about like this idea of he's like, "You're stealing money from your poorer self that your richer self won't care about.""

Books from The Daily Stoic: These 3 Rules Will Make or Break Your 2026 | Jesse Itzler (2025)

Extracted via LLM (gemini-2.5-flash) from auto-captions of The Daily Stoic (2025-12-29).

Source: www.youtube.com

Living with a Seal

Jesse Itzler · 2015 · Buy on Amazon

"Well, I know I wrote Living with a Seal in 2017."

One Line a Day Journal

Unknown · Buy on Amazon

"I do this journal and you you write one line a day uh for 5 years... That would be I think a foundational habit that most people happier, more self-aware, calmer."

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