About the book
Ryan Holiday, whose earlier books include The Obstacle Is the Way, turns to Stoic and Buddhist philosophy to argue that slowing down gives an edge to those charging ahead. He calls the quality stillness, staying steady while the world spins, and holds that great leaders, artists, athletes and thinkers all share it. Citing Seneca, Confucius, Thich Nhat Hanh, Marcus Aurelius, Nietzsche and John Stuart Mill, he presents stillness as a route to discipline, focus and self-mastery rather than mere inactivity. He also profiles people who embodied it, including Winston Churchill laying bricks and painting at Chartwell, the baseball player Sadaharu Oh and his study of Zen, Fred Rogers and Anne Frank.
Peter Attia called it exceptional and said he read it and then read it again. Arianna Huffington endorsed it as a small, wise book for a less anxious and more productive life, and Mark Manson praised its revival of ancient wisdom about a quiet life in a noisy world.
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This book has 8 recommendations
Cal Newport (Author)
Some authors give advice. Ryan Holiday distills wisdom. This book is a must read for anyone feeling overwhelmed by the frenetic demands of modern life.
Arianna Huffington (Founder & CEO/Thrive Global)
Whether you are an athlete, an investor, a writer or an entrepreneur, this little but wise and soulful book will open the door to a healthier, less anxious and more productive life and career.
Mark Manson (Author)
In this age of manufactured outrage and constant distraction, the ability to choose a focused inner stillness is arguably more important than ever before. Ryan Holiday’s book revives ancient wisdom that calls for a quiet life in a noisy and restless world.
Angela Duckworth (Author)
Ryan Holiday is among the most psychologically wise writers I know. I'm a fan of all of his work, including this new gem, Stillness is the Key. If you struggle—as I do—to find your center in the increasingly noisy and frenetic world we live in, then this book is for you.
Robert Greene (Author)
In the world today the dangers are many—most notably, the endless distractions and petty battles that make us act without purpose or direction. In this book, through his masterful synthesis of Eastern and Western philosophy, Ryan Holiday teaches us all how to maintain our focus and presence of mind amid the sometimes overwhelming conflicts and troubles of 21st-century life
Steven Pressfield (Author)
Ryan Holiday is a national treasure and a master in the field of self-mastery. In his most compelling book yet, he has mined both the classical literature of the ancient world and cultural touchstones from Mister Rogers to Tiger Woods, and brought his learnings to us in terms that the frantic, distracted, over-caffeinated modern mind can understand and put to use. Highly recommended.
Sophia Amoruso (Co-Founder & CEO/GirlBoss)
Don’t be fooled. Within the pages of this unassuming little book lie a life-changing idea: that in order to move forward, we must learn to be still. Ryan Holiday has done it again.
Peter Attia (Founder/Attia Medical)
I read (and then reread) Ryan Holiday’s exceptional book Stillness is the Key (I’ve interviewed Ryan, so look for this podcast soon).
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Cal Newport, Arianna Huffington, Mark Manson, Angela Duckworth, Robert Greene, Steven Pressfield, Sophia Amoruso, Peter Attia
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