Episode · The Daily Stoic · 2026-10-06
Books mentioned on What a Decade of Stoicism Teaches You About Life
Ten years ago, Ryan’s longtime literary agent and coauthor Steve Hanselman suggested a book that Ryan wasn’t sure he wanted to write.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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Letters from a Stoic
Letters from a Stoic by Seneca is a classic collection of ancient philosophical letters offering practical guidance on virtue, resilience, and emotional control.
Discussed“Somebody that I know sent me a picture yesterday of their copy of letters of a Stoic that they'd bought at the painted porch.”
Where to get it
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Meditations
Meditations by Marcus Aurelius is a foundational collection of personal writings by the Roman Emperor that explores Stoic philosophy, self-reflection, and inner resilience.
Discussed“But my favorite part about meditations as a historical document is the way that it accidentally captures some things that have been lost.”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (5) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
Own book The Obstacle Is the Way
“And so he encouraged me, and that became The Obstacle is the Way.”
Own book The Daily Stoic
“And then it was actually Steve's idea to do the Daily Stoic. As we talk about in today's episode, he had done a number of sort of daily devotional books when he was a publisher.”
Own book Lives of the Stoics
“Three years of research that produced lives of the Stoics, that all happened because I was, you know, put in bed for a while.”
Own book Trust Me, I'm Lying
“I went through it here. I'm going through it with, trust me, I'm lying, which I'm doing an anniversary edition.”
Own book Ego Is the Enemy
“And then I've got to get started on the Ego is the Enemy anniversary edition.”