Ryan Holiday’s 2017 Reading List
The 14 books Ryan Holiday recommended in 2017, with the reasons in their own words. See all the books Ryan Holiday recommends.
Other years: 2024 · 2018 · 2016 · 2015 · 2014 · 2013 · 2012 · 2011
14 books recommended in 2017
The City And The Stars
I’ve never really been a science fiction fan but The City and The Stars by Arthur C. Clarke was beautiful and moving.
The Vanishing American Adult: Our Coming-of-Age Crisis–and How to Rebuild a Culture of Self-Reliance
by Ben Sasse
I read this book (note: The Gift of Failure) not long after reading Senator Sasse’s The Vanishing American Adult and found it to be a great companion. We forget that homework doesn’t matter, grades don’t matter—only what the process they represent matters. Children are not… Read the full quote
I read this book (note: The Gift of Failure) not long after reading Senator Sasse’s The Vanishing American Adult and found it to be a great companion. We forget that homework doesn’t matter, grades don’t matter—only what the process they represent matters. Children are not a reflection of their parents, they depend on their parents to raise them into adults who can be reflections of who they uniquely are.
The Gift of Failure: How the Best Parents Learn to Let Go So Their Children Can Succeed
I read The Gift of Failure: How the Best Parents Learn to Let Go So Their Children Can Succeed by Jessica Lahey because I have a son, but it’s worth reading for anyone, parent or not. Written by a middle school teacher and education expert,… Read the full quote
I read The Gift of Failure: How the Best Parents Learn to Let Go So Their Children Can Succeed by Jessica Lahey because I have a son, but it’s worth reading for anyone, parent or not. Written by a middle school teacher and education expert, the book is an exploration of how one raises self-sufficient children who are responsible for themselves.
Black Privilege: Opportunity Comes to Those Who Create It
I also loved Black Privilege: Opportunity Comes to Those Who Create It by Charlamagne Tha God, and I wish more celebrity memoirs bothered to do what he did with this book: You know, actually teach people stuff in the form of concrete lessons instead of just talking about their lives.
The Complacent Class: The Self-Defeating Quest for the American Dream
by Tyler Cowen
The Complacent Class: The Self-Defeating Quest for the American Dream by Tyler Cowen who is not only one of my favorite authors, he is a personal hero.
A Stillness at Appomattox
by Bruce Catton
This year I loved Bruce Catton’s This Hallowed Ground: A History of the Civil War and A Stillness at Appomattox. If you want to understand the Civil War and you want to see one of the greatest non-fiction writing ever, read Catton.
This Hallowed Ground: A History of the Civil War
by Bruce Catton
This year I loved Bruce Catton’s This Hallowed Ground: A History of the Civil War and A Stillness at Appomattox. If you want to understand the Civil War and you want to see one of the greatest non-fiction writing ever, read Catton.
Bright Shiny Morning
by James Frey
The same goes for Bright Shiny Morning which I loved just as much. Like stayed up until very late at night loved it.
We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves: A Novel
In chaotic times, novels are a way to find peace and keep that flicker of vulnerability alive and nurtured. [...] The story is funny, heartbreaking—like literally will make you cry heartbreaking, especially if you have children—and beautifully written.
Magellan
by Stefan Zweig
Now if you’re looking for some inspiration and excitement, Magellan is the book for you. What makes a man an explorer? What made Magellan so he could find a passage he had no reason to be certain he could find? And how thankless a job!… Read the full quote
Now if you’re looking for some inspiration and excitement, Magellan is the book for you. What makes a man an explorer? What made Magellan so he could find a passage he had no reason to be certain he could find? And how thankless a job! [...] There are some books where you feel like everything the writer did led up to this masterpiece they were born to create: that might be what this book is. It’s just perfect in every sense. Cannot recommend highly enough.
Montaigne
by Stefan Zweig
If you’ve been struggling with the onslaught of negative news and political turmoil, start with Montaigne. Why? It’s the biography of man who retreated from the chaos of 16th century France to study himself, written by a man fleeing the chaos of 20th century Europe. [...] This book helped me get through 2017, no question.
The Hidden-Hand Presidency: Eisenhower as Leader
The Hidden-Hand which I read around the same time is equally a masterclass in leadership. It will give you not just a new appreciation of Eisenhower, but teach you how real leaders get things done: it’s not through talking, it’s not through looking tough, it’s through organization, delegation and through behind the scenes influence.
Bodyguard of Lies: The Extraordinary True Story Behind D-Day
The book is a masterclass in the art of strategy. (No wonder it was one of John Boyd’s favorites).
How to Live: Or A Life of Montaigne in One Question and Twenty Attempts at an Answer
Montaigne is one of humanities greatest treasures. If you've not read any of his essays or Sarah Bakewell's magnificent book How To Live [...] you are missing out.