The Daily Stoic

by Ryan Holiday
The Daily Stoic cover
Good Books rating 3.75
Technical:
  • ID: 240
  • Added: 2025-09-06
  • Updated: 2025-09-10
  • ISBN: 9781781257654
  • Published: 2016-10-27
  • Formats: 10
  • Reviews: 3
Buy online
Waterstones
Paperback • £11.99

The Daily Stoic offers 366 meditations, each presenting a quote from ancient Stoic philosophers such as Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, and Epictetus, along with modern commentary to illuminate their relevance today. Designed for daily reflection, it provides practical insights on themes like wisdom, perseverance, and the art of living well, making Stoic philosophy accessible and actionable for modern readers. The book encourages readers to focus on controlling their own minds and actions, finding peace amidst external chaos, and cultivating resilience through daily practice. With new translations and a technical glossary, it serves both as an introduction to Stoicism and a tool for deepening one’s understanding, helping readers navigate challenges like anger, grief, and the pursuit of success through a Stoic lens.

Reviews
Business Insider · 2025-09-06
practical 4.25

The book provides an accessible, daily meditation format that encourages control over one’s mind and reactions, though some passages may feel repetitive or overly praising of Stoicism itself.

This reviewer finds The Daily Stoic to be a practical and easy-to-understand introduction to Stoicism, ideal for daily reflection with its page-a-day format. They highlight the empowering lesson that one can only truly control their own mind and actions, which has helped them shift focus away from external frustrations to more productive responses. While some passages are inspiring, others tend to be repetitive or simply praise Stoicism without deeper reflection. Despite this, the book has helped establish a manageable meditation routine without feeling like a big commitment, making it a useful tool for internalizing Stoic principles over time.

Quick quotes

    There's only one thing you can truly control in the world — your own thinking.

    If it's out of my hands, then it's out of my mind.

    Others might also find some passages and reflections repetitive, but I'd like to think it serves its purpose.

Karwansaray Publishers Blog · 2025-09-06
reflective 3.25

The book offers useful insights and helped reduce self-pity during difficult times, but some precepts feel challenging or simplistic, and the text can sometimes come off as privileged.

The reviewer found The Daily Stoic to be a mixed experience, with some parts providing profound and helpful guidance that reduced moments of self-pity and renewed their sense of direction. However, they also encountered difficulties with certain Stoic ideas, such as accepting lack of control over destiny and the neutrality of events, which were especially hard to digest during personal loss. The writing style occasionally felt simplistic, privileged, and bro-ish, which detracted from the overall experience. Ultimately, the book served as a good introduction to Stoicism but left the reviewer with more questions, prompting them to explore original Stoic texts like Marcus Aurelius's Meditations to deepen their understanding.

Quick quotes

    I had fewer pity parties thanks to this book and a renewed sense of direction.

    There were places where it came off as bro-ish, simplistic, privileged, and grating.

    I managed to take what I needed and leave behind what didn't serve me.

Goodreads · Santaraksita35 · 2022-01-07
thoughtful 3.75

The collection of Stoic quotes is exceptional and promotes mental peace, but the accompanying commentary often feels disconnected and sometimes contradicts the tranquility of the quotes.

The reviewer appreciates the exceptional quality of the Stoic quotes in the book, finding them to be a source of mental peace and tranquility. However, they find Ryan Holiday's accompanying writings less appealing, describing them as rooted in a Christian perspective and referencing Western history in a way that feels odd and out of sync with the Stoic philosophy. This mismatch between the Stoic sayings and the commentary sometimes results in a jarring reading experience. Despite these issues, the book is still valued as a useful introduction to Stoic ideas organized around themes like courage and duty, and it inspired the reviewer to explore Marcus Aurelius's Meditations further.

Quick quotes

    You’ve been granted a strong fortress. Don’t betray it.

    The collection of quotes is truly exceptional.

    While the Stoic sayings and quotes bring mental peace and tranquility, Ryan's anecdotes are often violent totally opposite to the sense conveyed in the quote.

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