Episode · The Daily Stoic · 2026-09-11
Books mentioned on Let This Always Be The Answer | I Was the First FDNY Chief on the Scene on 9/11
Today, on the 25th anniversary of 9/11, let us be full of love. -- Chief Joseph Pfeifer was the first FDNY chief to arrive at the World Trade Center on 9/11.
Ryan Holiday discussed Meditations by Aurelius Marcus. Joseph Pfeifer discussed Ordinary Heroes by Joseph Pfeifer and The hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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Meditations
Meditations by Marcus Aurelius is a profound collection of personal reflections and Stoic philosophy written by the Roman emperor.
Discussed“In book one of meditations where Marcus Aurelius catalogs the most important things he learned throughout his life, He said that he learned from a teacher named Sextus to be free of passion, yet full of love.”
Where to get it
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Ordinary Heroes
Discussed“My memoir would not be complete without revealing the profound lessons I learned from this unforgettable crisis.”
Where to get it
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The hunchback of Notre Dame
The hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo is a classic gothic novel depicting 15th-century Paris and the tragic lives of its marginalized characters.
Discussed“According to Gallet, it was as if we were experiencing Victor Hugo's novel, The Hunchback of Notre-Dame. You could imagine seeing the shadow of the hunchback above the bells.”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (1) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
Passing Ordinary Heroes
“He is the author of Ordinary Heroes, a memoir of 9-11, which is a new 25th anniversary edition.”