Episode · The Daily Stoic · 2026-09-22
Books mentioned on No One Is Excused From This | You’re Reading Books Wrong. Here’s A Better Way.
No one—no Marine, no leader, no citizen, no parent, no one who wants any measure of success—is excused from studying. Not now.
Ryan Holiday recommended Meditations by Aurelius Marcus, A Selection from the Discourses of Epictetus with the Encheiridion, Discourses and Selected Writings, History of the Peloponnesian War, and The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks, and discussed John Adams by David McCullough, History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire Complete and Unabridged by Edward Gibbon, and “The” History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
-
Meditations
Meditations by Marcus Aurelius is a collection of personal journals and philosophical notes written by the Roman emperor, offering timeless reflections on Stoic philosophy, self-discipline, and mortality.
Recommended“Let me start by showing you a book that changed my life. So this is my copy of Marcus Aurelius' Meditations, which was recommended to me when I was about 20 years old.”
Where to get it
-
A Selection from the Discourses of Epictetus with the Encheiridion
A Selection from the Discourses of Epictetus with the Encheiridion is a foundational work of Stoic philosophy capturing the teachings of the former Greek slave, recorded by his pupil Arrian.
Recommended“And he says, and for introducing me to Epictetus's lectures and loaning me his own copy. Here is my copy of Epictetus. These are two books that changed my life.”
Where to get it
-
Discourses and Selected Writings
Discourses and Selected Writings by Epictetus is a foundational text of Stoic philosophy that offers timeless wisdom on personal virtue, resilience, and navigating the challenges of human existence.
Recommended“And he says, and for introducing me to Epictetus's lectures and loaning me his own copy. Here is my copy of Epictetus. These are two books that changed my life.”
Where to get it
-
History of the Peloponnesian War
History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides is a classical historical chronicling of the intense conflict between Athens and Sparta in ancient Greece.
Recommended“My wife and I and a bunch of our friends right now are reading Thucydides' History of the Peloponnesian War.”
Where to get it
-
John Adams
John Adams by David McCullough is a celebrated biographical masterpiece that chronicles the life of the second US president and deeply explores the turbulent founding of the United States.
Discussed“Actually, McCullough talks about this in his biography with John Adams. John Adams was a master of the art of what we would call marginalia.”
Where to get it
-
History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire Complete and Unabridged
The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire Complete and Unabridged is a sweeping historical work by Edward Gibbon chronicling the trajectory of the Roman civilization.
Discussed“And he had read all of Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire several times. He was always reading two or three books at a time...”
Where to get it
-
“The” History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire
The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon is a monumental multi-volume historical work chronicling the trajectory of the Roman world from the height of the empire to its eventual collapse.
Discussed“And he had read all of Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire several times. He was always reading two or three books at a time...”
Where to get it
-
The Notebook
The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks is a contemporary romance novel that follows the enduring love story of an impoverished young man and a well-to-do young woman across decades.
Recommended“There's actually a great book about this that I recommend called The Notebook.”
Where to get it
