Episode · The Daily Stoic · 2025-12-13
Ryan Holiday & Olivia Nuzzi: books mentioned on The Daily Stoic
Olivia Nuzzi Knows She Messed Up
It’s easy to defend yourself. It’s harder to tell the truth.
Ryan Holiday recommended By Grand Central Station I sat down and wept by Elizabeth Smart, and discussed The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Harder They Fall by Budd Schulberg, and De profundis by Oscar Wilde. Olivia Nuzzi discussed So You've Been Publicly Shamed by Jon Ronson and Meditations by Aurelius Marcus.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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By Grand Central Station I sat down and wept
By Grand Central Station I sat down and wept is a lyrical, emotionally intense 1945 novel by Elizabeth Smart that chronicles a passionate, destructive, and tumultuous love affair against the backdrop of North America and Europe.
Recommended“This is actually my copy, but I wondered if Have you read by Grand Central Station? I sat down and wept.”
Where to get it
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The Great Gatsby
The Great Gatsby by F.
Discussed“in in Gatsby, there's this moment where Gatsby comes to Nick when he's trying to get in his good graces and he says like, "Hey, like I have maybe like I know you don't make a ton of money doing what you do. I have maybe this business opportunity you could help me with."”
Where to get it
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The Harder They Fall
The Harder They Fall by Budd Schulberg is a hard-hitting novel that exposes the deep-seated corruption, exploitation, and ruthless machinations behind the sport of professional boxing.
Discussed“Bud Schulberg who wrote on the waterfront with this book called The Harder They Fall which is about a boxing promoter and a press agent.”
Where to get it
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So You've Been Publicly Shamed
So You've Been Publicly Shamed is a non-fiction book by Jon Ronson that investigates the devastating phenomenon of internet cancel culture and social media outrage.
Discussed“is it John Ronson that such a good book? Um but that's a totally different thing, right? Like that I I think I I consider that more public humiliation.”
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“I've been thinking a lot in preparing to come here. Um thinking a lot about Marcus obviously, right?”
Where to get it
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De profundis
Discussed“There's a beautiful scene in Oscar Wild's book Dave Profundis where he talks about this moment he's being transferred from one prison to another.”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (2) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
“Bud Schulberg who wrote on the waterfront with this book called The Harder They Fall”
“I use in the intro of Trust Me I'm Lying. I I I was fooling around with that word disintegrated.”