Ryan Holiday’s 2024 Reading List

on the little sign I put next to the book in the bookstore, I say that The Son is on par with the show Yellowstone, but better.

How on earth did Wroe manage to produce such a rich and fascinating, 432-page book about a guy for which the historical record is not more than a couple artifacts and inscriptions?

I regret that because WOW this book is good!

The Past That Would Not Die by Walter Lord is a riveting, must read narrative nonfiction thriller about James Meredith’s brave and bold campaign to integrate Ole Miss in 1962.

I quite enjoyed The Book of Charlie: Wisdom from the Remarkable American Life of a 109-Year-Old Man by David Von Drehle.

What an idiot I am for taking my time getting around to reading this because it’s incredible.

What I am saying is that this book is also great.

I spent my birthday reading James and I consider that a great gift.

And oh my god, Papyrus is one of the most impressive examples of that I can recall (the invention and the impact of paper???).

My British publisher sent me this which I’m glad about because I haven’t heard anyone talking about Roland Allen’s lovely book about one of the most transformative pieces of technology ever invented.

I was blown away by Gary Will’s Lincoln at Gettysburg.

I’ve given something like 30 copies of Brent Underwood’s Ghost Town Living out to friends at the bookstore this year.

I’ve been hoping for a good biography of Marcus Aurelius for a long time and we finally got one