Person
Every book Ryan Hall recommended on podcasts
Ryan Hall appears on long-form interview podcasts centered around martial arts, physical discipline, strategy, and the philosophy of violence and conflict. Through these conversations, he explores timeless strategic principles and shares deeply influential literary works. Hall is an enthusiastic advocate for Frank Herbert's science fiction masterpiece "Dune," strongly recommending the novel to anyone willing to listen and praising its exceptional writing regarding human interactions, politics, and philosophy. In addition to his primary recommendation, Hall frequently analyzes classical texts on strategy and mindset. He discusses Miyamoto Musashi's "The Book of Five Rings" and Sun Tzu's "The Art of War" as foundational historical sources that offer enduring axioms on combat, battle, and warfare, while critiquing how modern audiences often superficially quote the latter without understanding its true principles. He also references Marcus Aurelius's "Meditations" to underscore the vital life lesson of distinguishing between what is within human control and what is not.
Books recommended by Ryan Hall
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Dune
Dune by Frank Herbert is a landmark science fiction epic that weaves complex themes of politics, religion, ecology, and human potential across a sprawling desert planet.
Discussed“the books on my list are the foundation series by isaac asimov dune snow crash by neil stephenson and ender's game like you mentioned”
Where to get it
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Ender's Game
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card is a classic science fiction novel about a gifted child soldier sent to an elite orbital battle school to prepare for an impending war against an alien insectoid species.
Discussed“in fact i think actually orson scott card you know who's the writer of a great book called anders game”
Where to get it
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Foundation
Foundation by Isaac Asimov is a classic science fiction masterpiece that chronicles a group of scientists working to preserve knowledge and shorten a dark age following the collapse of a galactic empire.
Discussed“the books on my list are the foundation series by isaac asimov dune snow crash by neil stephenson and ender's game like you mentioned”
Where to get it
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Meditations
Marcus Aurelius's Meditations is a foundational work of Stoic philosophy that records the personal reflections and spiritual exercises of the Roman emperor.
Discussed“i want to take my i'll get some marcus aurelius thing it's like you know i guess the trick to life is figuring out what's in our control and what's not”
Where to get it
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Mein Kampf
Mein Kampf is an autobiographical manifesto by Adolf Hitler outlining his political ideology and future plans for Germany.
Discussed“i don't know because hitler wrote all about it in mineconf”
Where to get it
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The Art of Learning
The Art of Learning by Josh Waitzkin is a compelling autobiographical guide that details the author's journey from a chess prodigy to a world-class martial artist, focusing on the psychological principles and rigorous frameworks behind mastering any skill.
Discussed“i think he has a book on learning he does yeah the art of learning actually”
Where to get it
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The Art of War
The Art of War by Sun Tzu is an ancient Chinese military treatise attributed to the renowned strategist, offering enduring lessons on tactics, leadership, and conflict resolution.
Discussed“reassessing of these ideas or axioms that have come down through things like the book of five rings or the art of war or you know like von klosterwicz even anything like that”
Where to get it
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The Book of Five Rings
The Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi is a classic treatise on strategy, tactical thinking, and martial philosophy written by a legendary seventeenth-century Japanese swordsman.
Discussed“...axioms that have come down through things like the book of five rings or the art of war or you know like von klosterwicz even anything like that”
Where to get it
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The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich
The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich by William L.
Discussed“i've been reading uh the rise and fall of the third reich”
Where to get it
Appearances
| Episode | Podcast | Date | Books |
|---|---|---|---|
| #169 – Ryan Hall: Solving Martial Arts from First Principles | Lex Fridman Podcast | 2021-03-20 | 6 |
| #125 – Ryan Hall: Martial Arts and the Philosophy of Violence, Power, and Grace | Lex Fridman Podcast | 2020-09-20 | 8 |
Other mentions (2: passing, ad reads, own books)
“what's going on in the world all around me to continue to lean on on dune that i don't have uh that i don't”
“i'm aware through wikipedia and uh through through surface reading of things that like a book called the republic was written once”