The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph

While I know Ryan personally, I believe that I am uniquely qualified to review this book and, after reading a lot of the comments, add to the discussion. A lot of people miss that Ryan is articulating a journey and is translating it into something edible and powerful. Something 99% of us at ANY age cannot do, even with "wisdom of experience". Storytelling has been around since the beginning of time, but actual mass communication has been around for a very short time (relatively). It looks as if the "paper book" business will become a specialty- if surviving at all. I know that Ryan knows this as he has always been quick to lend an idea, do some digging and most important- analyze and decide. As he uses as an example in his book, he pulls an Amelia Earhart and ACTS. He can talk about Tesla in the same sentence as popular games on the meat markets in early Chicago. He has read (studied) Marshall McLuhan to Malcolm Gladwell. This rabid quest to find out and face his own soul searching path- has delivered a perfect book for the RIGHT PERSON. This is not Chicken Soup for the Soul. Ryan has done WAY more and influenced WAY more decisions than he would ever talk about, but has helped untangle talent and communication complications (i.e- market properly) using many of his methods he developed under Robert Greene and even 50 Cent and Tucker Max. He helped in stealth, but in critical ways, to launch, maintain and capitalize on #1 Films, TV Shows, YouTube and MANY multi platinum musical artists. I can vouch for it myself. It is always amazing to read a review somewhere when that person has never faced down rejection and fear and can criticize anyone for at least putting their thoughts and ideas out there for judgment. To do that, when the WORLD is telling you that finishing college is the only way to go and you have the same people close to you saying that you will fail- it truly was an Obstacle to overcome. It only got more intense for Ryan, but his lessons are earned. He was led to the water, but unlike most people, he drank. How can you question the message, integrity and courage of that? Steven Pressfield, one of our generations best and most diverse authors, has called it "The Resistance". Even he endorsees the book on the dust jacket. The reason that I preface the review this way is to show you Ryan's true accomplishment here- articulating what he has learned, applying it to clear examples people can remember and also help people. There have been big choices in Ryan's life- not the least of which was whether to go in house for a safe "job" or "bet on himself". He DID what he talks about here. It is the true reflection on a part of his life and the methods HE used to combat them. This is especially important for a generation who "has ADD" and can't relate to the past. At 22- I think it would be silly to not monitor this refreshing voice and mind as he progress'. He actually went and spent time with Dr. Drew after reading his not so best selling books. Marcus Aurelius is the clear hero in this book, being compared to boxer "Hurricane" Carter (among others), while dealing with your internal power. The ideas and themes of the book seem to come from some Herman Hesse and Tom Wolfe as much as out of print magazines and long dead historical stars of their time. That is what is so attractive. Anyone should find a part of this to relate to. This is especially helpful to someone who wants a quick boost of intellect instead of trying to muscle through a biography (but he def refers to a lot of interesting people I need to read more about). Ryan does not rely on the same tired stereotyped figures from the past, but finds new, more relatable, characters and situations. Athletes, Entrepreneurs, Parents and CEO's, and those looking to look at life in a certain lens, will benefit greatly. Think you are having a bad day? Open your eyes and you will find out that another historical leader (other than Churchill) suffered severe depression while running the country that may or may not exist depending on his choices- Abraham Lincoln (didn't see a lot of that in the movie). Grant, Nietzsche and Edison all make a story about fortitude and acceptance. A much different approach than looking in a window and imaging you will get the new purse that is in there and moving on. Again- this is intended for action and not philosophy. Self Help crap would be fine if it worked, but that means there would only be one book- and it would work. Awareness. Dealing with fear and uncertainty. Mindful and deliberate. Shame and guilt. Accountability and results. How did other people deal with this? Only through careful research do these stories become just as powerful to the man who believes that history is a verb as they are to someone just trying to make it through their day. The point is- you are not alone. In fact, you are not even close to being the first person today to experience multiple obstacles. It is comforting to see how adversity has been confronted in the past. This is a book for those who believe in Realpolitik and seeing life for what it is. I would say it is the actual back up action plan to what a mystical book like the Mayan based best seller, "The 4 Agreements", is. Although the book is very much based on stoic principles it makes no judgements about your belief system in a macro way. I can see how this book can have some legs for people try to cope with a new world where you have too much or think you have too little- information to ingest. It is a reference book that can be returned to over and over. Ryan Holiday is an important voice in the book space these days. Mostly because he is willing to actually commit to writing good books as well as growing his digital presence quickly. Non fiction at that age in 2014 is pretty impressive and patient. He can deal w Dov Charney, 50 Cent, Tucker Max and many others- due to his diversity. His "Read to Lead" mentality is refreshing and way more valuable than any class. He has a Best Seller in "Growth Hacking" at the same time, so holding his own with decades older armchair authors, while understanding the generation gap in communication is not such a bad way to describe this book. And finally...yes- he uses the bible as reference at times..

The Obstacle is the Way is the first of a three-book series on the philosophy of Marcus Aurelius and other Stoic philosophers. “Stoicism” has a bad name in modern times, but the name has been corrupted in a similar way to how the name “Puritan” has been corrupted. Stoicism is – in many ways – what we now call Cognitive Behavioral Training. In this volume, Ryan Holiday introduces the reader to three wide themes of Stoic philosophy – and this is a practical and easy read – don’t worry. The first theme is perception. In this, the Stoics said to look at your situation – what is happening – as objectively as you can. What is this really? Putting aside emotions and presuppositions – What do I actually have here, and can I turn it into a positive? (This is not positivity thinking but turning whatever is before you over – looking at it from every angle, understanding what is truly is and from what perspective it is good, bad, or neutral.) Once you have an objective understanding of what is before you, you then ask what is in my power and what is not in my power? What can I change and what can’t I change? The second theme is action. That is directed action. This is a planned action to remove the obstacle in front of you and/or to transform it into the way in which you want to go. You set you actions and keep doing more, because there is always more that can be done. That does not mean there is no rest – you need to take action to rest, as well. “Persist in your efforts. Resist giving in to distractions, discouragements, or disorder” (80). Do your job and do it right. The third theme is will. “Will is our internal power, which can never be affected by the outside world” (125). This means to “bear and forebear. Acknowledge the pain but trod onward in your task” (131). This is the process of saying, I will do this and then I will do this, and so forth until my goal is accomplished. There is no giving up. It is also to accept that no matter how well we perceive, no matter what actions we plan, we may fail to achieve what we desire. The biggest realization to keep before us is that we will die – we are finite creatures. Eventually, no matter how well we perfect perception, action, and will, we die. It just is. It is something we must accept. We are not to be morbid about it, rather we accept it as truth. In the end, if we perceive the obstacles rightly and considered what we can do and what we cant’t do, and then we set up a plan of action and act upon it, and we persist and will our way towards the goal, we will always be happy, because there is nothing more we can do. We will have done everything. The book ends with an extensive “selected” bibliography and recommended reading list, as well as ways to get in contact with the author. I am finding Stoicism to be helpful in working forward in my life. I am also using his book, The Daily Stoic, which are short primary readings and commentary, as a devotional. And I look forward to reading the other two books in the series. [This review appears on my blog, my YouTube channel, Amazon.com, and Goodreads.com.]

The Obstacle Is the Way is pithy and genuinely impressive. It’s the kind book worth revisiting every six months or so just to reset your mindset and remind yourself of what matters. Ryan’s style really shines here. He takes a simple subject, finds a relatable example, and then delivers a short, sharp insight on why it matters. It’s efficient, thoughtful, and easy to digest. Honestly, I’m curious what the “30-minute summary” version of this book looks like, because the original already feels like one: quick, smart, and packed with useful takeaways.

This book was transformative for my life. I’ve been a fan of Stoicism for a long time but never could find a way to quite shake my anxiety. This book finally gave me a framework in which to do that! This quote from Ryan Holiday is my new mantra: “FOCUSING EXCLUSIVELY ON WHAT IS IN OUR POWER MAGNIFIES AND ENHANCES OUR POWER. BUT EVERY OUNCE OF ENERGY DIRECTED AT THINGS WE CAN'T ACTUALLY INFLUENCE IS WASTED, SELF-INDULGENT, & SELF-DESTRUCTIVE.” I will be reading this book at least once a year for the rest of my life. Highly recommend.

This one is from Ryan Holiday, the same author that wrote The Daily Stoic, the book I reviewed last week that I'm currently reading daily since it is set up like a daily devotional. It scores a 4.6 on Amazon with 899 reviews and a 4.09 on Goodreads with 820 reviews. I try to make it a practice of only checking out reviews after I've read a book so I don't have any preconceived notions about what I'm getting into. I'm glad I did that here because some of the lower reviews were blistering on this one and I may not have picked it up. I enjoyed this one for it's simplicity and the tales interwoven throughout the book of famous individuals who overcame adversity to find great success. I was aware of many of them but learned of a few more along the way. The book is divided into three parts that describe some of the tenants of Stoic philosophy. Part I is on perception which focuses on how we view obstacles. The key piece here is that obstacles should be viewed as opportunities to learn. Part II is all about action. This one is pretty self-explanatory. When we come across adversity we just need to keep moving and pushing through tough times. Imperfect action is better than perfect inaction. I couldn't agree more on this theme. Part III is on will. This one again is fairly self-explanatory but Ryan makes a point of distinguishing between persistence and perseverance with the focus aimed to be on the latter. Throughout the book you'll find great snippets from some of the great Stoic philosophers like Seneca and Marcus Aurelius along with quotes from more recent notables such as Thoreau, Nietzsche, and Teddy Roosevelt. This book flows well and can be read in one evening. Part I was the most enjoyable part for me and it slowed up a little for parts II and III. It's definitely a great book to pick up for anyone that's going through any adversity. It gives good ideas on how to overcome and the antidotes provide good examples of those who have flipped adversity and obstacles around to attain great success. Oddly enough, many of the most successful people I know and associate with have gone through some kind of life struggle and it's been a key piece of why they've found success. How are you handling the adversity in your life? Are you using it as an excuse or are you using it as an opportunity to learn and grow? How you handle these obstacles may well determine your future. Choose wisely my friends!

I came across Ryan Holiday after seeing his name on both James Altucher's and Tim Ferriss' podcasts. I briefly looked into him and initially dismissed him due to his age. One uneventful evening I decided to listen to his podcast with Tim Ferriss. I was really impressed with the interview which, to my surprise, covered one of my favorite topics, Stoicism. Once I found out Ryan was a research assistant for one of my favorite authors, Robert Greene (Mastery, 48 Laws, Seduction), I knew reading The Obstacle is the Way would be a great use of time. Obstacle is a 3 Act book with short and concise chapters that skillfully shows how philosophy is not only for white tower academics arguing over nuanced nonsense, but for men and women of action in today's uncertain and challenging economic and social environment. Drawing from the ideas of the Big 3 of Stoicism (Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius, and Seneca) who are all great men of history, Holiday, in the fashion of Robert Greene, uses historical stories and examples to make his points. Stoicism has been a major influence on such great men as George Washington, Teddy Roosevelt, and Thomas Jefferson who all were active students and practitioners of the philosophy. It's essentially a philosophy of realizing there's much we can't control in the external world, but we can always control our reactions and subsequent actions to these outer events. Too often, we react from negative emotions which only compound a problem. Often our lens on the world is faulty due to wrong perceptions and thinking. Stoicism gives us a new perspective on problems and hurdles in our life and flips what is often viewed as a negative and turns s*** into sugar. This is a philosophy that needs a resurgence and hopefully, books like The Obstacle is The Way, will generate ongoing enthusiasm for what is essentially a new OS on how to look at the world and how often our greatest setbacks/challenges can lead to great things. Through perceiving reality clearly, taking creative and consistent action, and having the humility, resilience, and flexibility to accept the outcome, many of us can achieve far more with our lives. The bibliography is loaded with great books to further explore both Stoicism and the lives of the historical figures Holiday uses to show his points. This is my only complaint with the book. I have WAY too much to read now. This is a book I wish I had in my twenties. This book is a kick in the ass. It is an inspiration. It shows what's possible and encourages one to bring forth the potentials inside us all.

I am really a huge fan of Ryan Holiday and his books always carry a wisdom that resonates, especially as much of his writings are based in ancient stoicism. He writes in a very relatable way that also helps you see a different perspective, which in my book is always welcomed. This is my second purchase of this book as I gave a copy to friend who absolutely loves this book!

really enjoyed the short digestible chapters and the culmination and tying of the, all together at the end. so many highlights!

Best for philosophy lovers

This easy reading book brings up real wisdom. It's ancient knowledge that our Western society seems to have forgotten.

I like every single word in this book. The simplicity is awesome 👌 👏 👍 😍.

A very good book. Ryan and his knowledge of stoicism has given us readers a versatile breadth of knowledge with his books. This book is no different. Very, very clearly lays out how adversity is necessary if you want to succeed. Uses not only stoicism but other historical accounts to back up his points. it is both a great self-help book and history lesson in a way.

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