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somanytictoc 's review for:
Let's start with the headline: this is the most important book I've read in years.
I exported my Kindle highlights to a PDF to help me write this review, and they were 5 pages long. I typically highlight a few interesting passages here and there. Not in this book. I re-read my highlights, and I feel like maybe some were accidentally left out- that's how many notable lines I remember.
Now, I'm sure not everyone will find Holiday's work so appealing. I actually don't know that it's as cohesive as I'd have liked for it to be. It's more of a collection of brilliant thoughts than a highly-structured argument in favor of Stoicism, and Holiday himself admits that most of his writing is heavily derivative of Stoic philosophers. This book is essentially a modern-day distillation of Stoicism into a single brief volume. For those who already have a thorough understanding of the philosophy, or those who have read Marcus Aurelius's Meditations, this book probably isn't worth the read.
On the other hand, I instantly got the feeling as I read that Holiday's writing would stay with me for a long time. It may simply be because I started reading about avoiding worry on the night that Donald Trump got elected. It may be that I was seeking a job change as I read about how our internal perception of ourselves is our biggest obstacle. It might be because Thanksgiving and Christmas is a time of great anxiety for me, and I stumbled upon this book telling me not to fear conflict. Whatever it may be, sometimes books find you at the right time.
I set a number of goals for 2016, one of which was to read 10 nonfiction books. I have fallen woefully short of that goal this year. It's ironic in a way that one of the three (!!!) books I've finished this year was a book about how to achieve your goals and not let yourself be your biggest obstacle. I loved it. You might not need it. For those who do need it, buy a copy that you can mark up or highlight. You'll find yourself re-reading your notes for years to come.
I exported my Kindle highlights to a PDF to help me write this review, and they were 5 pages long. I typically highlight a few interesting passages here and there. Not in this book. I re-read my highlights, and I feel like maybe some were accidentally left out- that's how many notable lines I remember.
Now, I'm sure not everyone will find Holiday's work so appealing. I actually don't know that it's as cohesive as I'd have liked for it to be. It's more of a collection of brilliant thoughts than a highly-structured argument in favor of Stoicism, and Holiday himself admits that most of his writing is heavily derivative of Stoic philosophers. This book is essentially a modern-day distillation of Stoicism into a single brief volume. For those who already have a thorough understanding of the philosophy, or those who have read Marcus Aurelius's Meditations, this book probably isn't worth the read.
On the other hand, I instantly got the feeling as I read that Holiday's writing would stay with me for a long time. It may simply be because I started reading about avoiding worry on the night that Donald Trump got elected. It may be that I was seeking a job change as I read about how our internal perception of ourselves is our biggest obstacle. It might be because Thanksgiving and Christmas is a time of great anxiety for me, and I stumbled upon this book telling me not to fear conflict. Whatever it may be, sometimes books find you at the right time.
I set a number of goals for 2016, one of which was to read 10 nonfiction books. I have fallen woefully short of that goal this year. It's ironic in a way that one of the three (!!!) books I've finished this year was a book about how to achieve your goals and not let yourself be your biggest obstacle. I loved it. You might not need it. For those who do need it, buy a copy that you can mark up or highlight. You'll find yourself re-reading your notes for years to come.