Episode · The Daily Stoic · 2025-06-28
Ryan Holiday & Rick Rubin: books mentioned on The Daily Stoic (Jun 2025)
AI Isn't Stealing Creativity, It's Supercharging It | Rick Rubin (PT. 2)
Is AI the end of creativity, or the beginning of a new artistic era? Rick Rubin returns for PT.
Ryan Holiday recommended The Creative Act by Rick Rubin, and discussed Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu, The Fish That Ate the Whale by Rich Cohen, Meditations by Aurelius Marcus, The Power Broker by Robert A. Caro, A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway, Be Here Now by Ram Dass, and The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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Tao Te Ching
Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu is a foundational text of Eastern philosophy and Taoism that explores the nature of reality, effortless action, and spiritual enlightenment.
Discussed“i'm going to give you one of my favorite quotes from the dao de jing”
Where to get it
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The Creative Act
The Creative Act: A Way of Being is a guide to harnessing artistic perspective and spiritual approaches to creativity by legendary music producer Rick Rubin.
Recommended“i thought his book uh the creative act a way of being is also really good”
Where to get it
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The Fish That Ate the Whale
The Fish That Ate the Whale by Rich Cohen is a biographical non-fiction book that chronicles the extraordinary life of Samuel Zemurray, an immigrant fruit peddler who rose to become the powerful head of the United Fruit Company.
Discussed“um one of my favorite biographies ever is this book called the fish that ate the whale by rich cohen which is about samuel zamuri one of the founders of united fruit”
Where to get it
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Meditations
Meditations by Marcus Aurelius is a collection of personal journals and philosophical notes written by the Roman emperor during his military campaigns, offering profound insights into Stoic philosophy, self-discipline, and personal endurance.
Discussed“and yet when i look at you know my copy of meditations i can see all these different pens and highlighters and stuff”
Where to get it
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The Power Broker
The Power Broker by Robert A.
Discussed“once you know you have the attention like robert caro famously cut 250 000 words out of the power broker his book about robert moses which is itself over a thousand pages”
Where to get it
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A Farewell to Arms
A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway is a celebrated novel that chronicles a tragic wartime romance and the brutal realities of combat, known for its spare prose and poignant explorations of human resilience.
Discussed“well we talked about hemingway um in uh a farewell to arms he rewrote the ending like 35 times”
Where to get it
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Be Here Now
Be Here Now by Ram Dass is a seminal 1970s spiritual guide exploring mindfulness, yoga, and Eastern philosophy.
Discussed“like in the 60s ram das wrote be here now”
Where to get it
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The Power of Now
The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle is a spiritual guide designed to help readers live in the present moment and transcend compulsive thinking.
Discussed“and then in the 80s it was a cart toll and uh the power of now”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (1) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
“i actually talked about him in perennial cellar with his work with adele and i thought the way of the code was really cool”