Episode · The Daily Stoic · 2026-09-20
Books mentioned on Ryan Holiday on Bill Maher: Why Stoicism Is Having a Moment
Before stepping in front of a live audience on Real Time with Bill Maher, Ryan turned to five Stoic reminders to calm his nerves. In today’s episode, Ryan takes you behind the scenes and shares highlights from his conversation with Bill about why Stoicism is having a moment.
Ryan Holiday recommended The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald and The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis, and discussed The Odyssey. Andrew Cuomo recommended Reason to Believe by Mario Cuomo.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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The Great Gatsby
The Great Gatsby by F.
Recommended“I mean, this is an obvious pick, but I think Gatsby is the greatest American novel, maybe the greatest one in English.”
Where to get it
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The Odyssey
The Odyssey by Homer is an epic ancient Greek poem that follows Odysseus on his long, perilous journey home after the Trojan War, remaining one of history's most influential foundational narratives.
Discussed“we talk a lot about books, people have opinions about books, people have opinions about the odyssey, but if people actually read them, if they actually read them more than once, you know, I think there's something there, too.”
Where to get it
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The Screwtape Letters
The Screwtape Letters by C.S.
Recommended“I would recommend C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters, and while it is a Christian book, it's not a like proselytizing book, it's a book about what goes on in the mind when you are being tempted away from your values”
Where to get it
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Reason to Believe
Reason to Believe is a political memoir and ideological statement written by the former New York Governor Mario Cuomo, outlining his vision for progressive governance and the American political landscape.
Recommended“Reason to Believe by Mario Cuomo, God rest his soul. Oh, James. My father, and I'll tell you, it was, it is a very succinct read of what the Democratic Party is supposed to be about with the heart and soul and mission of the Democratic Party”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (1) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
“the host of The Daily Stoic Podcast and best-selling author of Wisdom Takes Work, Ryan Holiday, the former Democratic governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo”