Episode · The Daily Stoic · 2026-10-07
Books mentioned on How to Get the Most Out of Reading (A Stoic Guide)
To be a great reader, it's not enough that you read. It's how you read.
Ryan Holiday recommended Grant by Ron Chernow, Hamilton by Ron Chernow, The Power Broker by Robert A. Caro, The passage of power by Robert A. Caro, Lives of the Eminent Philosophers by Diogenes Laertius, Enchiridion, and A Selection from the Discourses of Epictetus with the Encheiridion, and discussed The Iliad, The Odyssey, The Imperial Cruise: A Secret History of Empire and War, The Best and the Brightest by David Halberstam, and Meditations by Aurelius Marcus.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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Grant
Grant by Ron Chernow is an extensive biographical work that chronicles the life, military campaigns, and presidential legacy of Ulysses S.
Recommended“Like what I love to to to dive into is like a big biography. There's Chernow's Grant, Hamilton, and Mark Twain book.”
Where to get it
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Hamilton
Hamilton by Ron Chernow is a comprehensive biographical account of the founding father Alexander Hamilton, detailing his rise from immigrant origins to his pivotal role in shaping the American financial and political systems.
Recommended“Like what I love to to to dive into is like a big biography. There's Chernow's Grant, Hamilton, and Mark Twain book.”
Where to get it
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The Power Broker
The Power Broker by Robert A.
Recommended“One of the the the series I'm proudest of reading, uh not just Robert Caro's The Power Broker, but series on Lyndon Johnson.”
Where to get it
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The passage of power
The Passage of Power by Robert A.
Recommended“The last book, The Passage of Power, it stops when Vietnam is starting. But the point is you should tackle big, ambitious, audacious books.”
Where to get it
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Lives of the Eminent Philosophers
Recommended“You can read Diogenes is a book The Lives of uh eminent philosopher, which has biographies of the different Stoics.”
Where to get it
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Enchiridion
Enchiridion by Epictetus is a classical Stoic text consisting of a concise manual of ethical advice and maxims compiled by his student Arrian, teaching practitioners how to navigate adversity by focusing solely on what is within their control.
Recommended“Like Epictetus, it's easier to start with the Enchiridion, which is sort of a summary of his teachings, but then you got to go to the Discourses.”
Where to get it
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A Selection from the Discourses of Epictetus with the Encheiridion
A Selection from the Discourses of Epictetus with the Encheiridion preserves the foundational teachings of the ancient Stoic philosopher Epictetus as recorded by his student Arrian.
Recommended“Like Epictetus, it's easier to start with the Enchiridion, which is sort of a summary of his teachings, but then you got to go to the Discourses.”
Where to get it
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The Iliad
The Iliad by Homer is an ancient epic poem detailing the events of the Trojan War and the wrath of Achilles.
Discussed“he was reading not just Epictetus and not just the Stoics, but he was reading the Odyssey and the Iliad because Epictetus had said that students needed to be familiar with those works, too.”
Where to get it
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The Odyssey
The Odyssey by Homer is an ancient Greek epic poem that recounts the arduous ten-year journey of Odysseus as he attempts to return home to Ithaca after the Trojan War.
Discussed“he was reading not just Epictetus and not just the Stoics, but he was reading the Odyssey and the Iliad because Epictetus had said that students needed to be familiar with those works, too.”
Where to get it
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The Imperial Cruise: A Secret History of Empire and War
Discussed“I thought this book would be amazing. It's called the Imperial Cruise. It's about this uh trip that that Theodore Roosevelt sent his vice president on to to explore and then pacify the Philippines.”
Where to get it
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The Best and the Brightest
The Best and the Brightest by David Halberstam is a historical examination of the institutional hubris and flawed policymaking that led the United States into the Vietnam War.
Discussed“This is my copy of Best and the Brightest, which I just read for this book that I'm reading on. And I you can see I marked up literally almost every page.”
Where to get it
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Meditations
Meditations by Marcus Aurelius is a collection of the personal, philosophical reflections of the Roman emperor on Stoic duty, resilience, and mortality.
Discussed“General Mattis, uh former Secretary of Defense, four-star general in the Marines, carries Marcus Aurelius's uh Meditations with him on 40 years of deployments.”
Where to get it
