Why people recommend it
A Calendar of Wisdom by Leo Tolstoy is a daily devotional collection featuring Stoic philosophies, Eastern wisdom, and reflections from thinkers like Thoreau, curated to offer guidance for every day of the year. Ryan Holiday enthusiastically recommended the book on The Daily Stoic during the episode Arthur Brooks' Ultimate Philosophy Masterclass, noting that it makes for wonderful reading before bed. Holiday also praised the book on the episode Financial Expert Morgan Housel On Rethinking Happiness And Money, mentioning that it is a perennial favorite at his bookstore where printers constantly struggle to keep up with high demand due to its timeless daily content. Additionally, Jack Weatherford recommended the book on the episode Jack Weatherford on Genghis Khan and Learning From History, suggesting it as a valuable read for those interested in historical wisdom. The book was also discussed on the podcast No Stupid Questions in the episode What Separates Humans From Other Animals?, where host Stephen Dubner and guest Angela Duckworth talked about reading a daily devotional by Tolstoy, with Duckworth initially misremembering the title as A Calendar of Days before clarifying its correct identity. Listeners and hosts alike continually turn to Tolstoy's curated daily entries for philosophical grounding, moral clarity, and enduring spiritual reflection.
Who recommended it
- Ryan Holiday Recommended
- Angela Duckworth Discussed
- Jack Weatherford Recommended
Ryan Holiday — 2 mentions
“What's interesting too about that Tolstoy book is that A calendar of wisdom. That's right.”
“Well, one of the books I I've raved about and like we can't keep it on the shelf of the bookstore and the the printers always having to print more is So, Tolstoy writes this book called A Calendar of Wisdom, and it's just a collection of his favorite quotes from Thoreau and the Stoics...”
Angela Duckworth — 2 mentions
“one is I've been reading this book by Tolstoy called a calendar of days and it is kind of like this Daily Devotional so he apparently for the last 15 or more years of his life created this journal where he kept all his favorite quotes”
“You know, I've been thinking about this recently for two reasons: one is I've been reading this book by Tolstoy called 'A Calendar of Days,' and it's kind of like this daily devotional.”
Jack Weatherford — 1 mention
“One of my similar book recommendations, since we were talking about books, I don't know if you've ever read Tolstoy's 'A Calendar of Wisdom.'”
Also mentioned in the same episodes
- Atlas Shrugged
- Charlotte's Web
- Furious Hours
- Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World
- Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World
- Good Inside
Other mentions (1: passing, ad reads, own books)
“Finally, Angela tells Steven about a Tolstoy book that she's enjoying called 'A Calendar of Days.' Angela seems to be developing a habit of remembering interesting details about the books she reads while getting their titles wrong.”