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daviest's review against another edition
5.0
While this book won't give you a coherent overview of stoicism, it contains the little tidbits and mantras needed to jump from a relatively abstract knowledge, to the day-to-day mindset of a practicing stoic.
The book has a quote from a famous stoic every day (split into twelve categories by month), and an analysis of the quote to go along with it. Each one is easily digestible, perfect for when you've just woken up, or are going to bed.
My only criticism is that the book has a slightly American bias. Nevertheless, any US specific analyses are generalisable enough to be understood by anyone.
The book has a quote from a famous stoic every day (split into twelve categories by month), and an analysis of the quote to go along with it. Each one is easily digestible, perfect for when you've just woken up, or are going to bed.
My only criticism is that the book has a slightly American bias. Nevertheless, any US specific analyses are generalisable enough to be understood by anyone.
karsik's review against another edition
It was a struggle to get through the 117 pages I did read (started at the end in October). Then, I absolutely had it on page 48 where the authors suggest that crying is unmanly and is not a helpful way to get through something. Of course it is. It’s a release before you can move on. This book has never helped me.
cnnr876's review against another edition
informative
reflective
slow-paced
3.5
this was my first time with a "read an entry a day" book. to have a companion for 365 days was powerful. as i started my 30s, i think it was an important way to tee up a new decade. ultimately, i'm not sure if stoicism is the organizing philosophy for me and my life, but i did find the overlaps with mindfulness informative and thought provoking! i imagine that stoicism will continue to impact my life into the future.
bailo2's review against another edition
5.0
Reading this book every day felt like taking a vitamin for my soul and a little like being in conversation with a friend,especially once I started annotating my response in the margins. To be clear, I didn’t always agree. In fact, sometimes I was quite critical of the position being taken in these short essays. But I thank it for that as well. Because this book did its best to challenge me, inspire me, and help me to live a little bit better. Now I’m a little unsure of what to do with it now that it’s over. Do I read it again? Do I wait a year to see if how I feel changes over time? Do I gift it to a friend? Not sure, but all this is to say, that it’s been a treasured part of my morning routine.
papidoc's review against another edition
5.0
(2017-18) Nice way to create a daily habit of pondering on the wisdom of ancient philosophers. I typically read the day's entry either immediately before leaving for work, so I could think about it on the way there, or just before bed, so I could think about it as I dropped off to sleep. Those daily reads alternated with the scriptures, whether in the morning or in the evening. Lots of interesting parallels.
(2021) Re-read this daily Stoic "devotional" this past year, and again found much to ponder upon and bring into my life. Perhaps more importantly, I began to realize that the person who probably got the most value out of this book was the author, as he thought and considered and explored and acted upon those thoughts. I think many of us, myself included, would get more value out of writing a book of daily thoughts from great minds than from reading one written by someone else. That is going to be one of my goals for 2022 - instead of reading a daily devotional book, to write my own. Whether anyone else ever reads it is irrelevant - it will be a most useful exercise for me.
(2021) Re-read this daily Stoic "devotional" this past year, and again found much to ponder upon and bring into my life. Perhaps more importantly, I began to realize that the person who probably got the most value out of this book was the author, as he thought and considered and explored and acted upon those thoughts. I think many of us, myself included, would get more value out of writing a book of daily thoughts from great minds than from reading one written by someone else. That is going to be one of my goals for 2022 - instead of reading a daily devotional book, to write my own. Whether anyone else ever reads it is irrelevant - it will be a most useful exercise for me.