Stillness Is the Key Hardcover – October 1, 2019

Ryan Holiday has become something of an expert on Stoic philosophy, and his previous books have mostly focused on that style of thinking. That's great, but I was pleased to see him branch out a bit more in this book.In this book, he writes about the need for quiet time and reflection, and how important it is in order to be happy and productive. One thing I really liked about this book was how he also gives examples from other schools of thought on the topic of stillness, such as Buddhism and Christianity, as well as Stoic, Cynic, and Epicurean philosophy.The book is divided into three sections, for Mind, Spirit, and Body. In the "Mind" section, he writes about the need for mindfulness, and being present in the moment. He recommends habits such as journaling, which allow you to commit your thoughts to paper, so that you can empty your mind for thinking about more important topics.In the "Spirit" section of the book, he talks about how most effective people have a faith of some sort, but he doesn't promote any particular creed or faith. He also talks about cultivating an attitude of virtuous living, and accepting life as it is, and being happy with what you have. This all resonated deeply with me, since for the past several years, my own personal beliefs have tended mostly towards Buddhism.Finally, in the "Body" section of the book, he talks about the importance of getting enough of both exercise and rest, the benefits of going for long walks, and avoiding "escapism."For me, reading books like this inspire me to do the things I know that I should be doing. Almost everything in the book is either common sense, or things I already know are useful habits to cultivate. However, Holiday's presentation of them ties them all together and reinforces how important they are, and the book left me feeling committed to trying harder to implement them in my life.If you're looking for an easy-to-read book that will inspire you to become a better person, this book is worth picking up.

Essential reading for today's times, but is as timeless as ever. Many books preach inner peace, enlightenment, and self improvement, but it's rare to find a book that distills the elements of these pursuits as effectively or pragmatically as this one. In today's world we have smartphones, social media, and the outrage news cycle all feeding off our time and attention, but this book begins by reminding us that as far back as 2,000 years, human being have struggled to block out the noise and find a sense of peace. Inner stillness is a very human need and a very valuable pursuit, and this book proves that.The great value from this book and this school of philosophy in general is not derived from its words or what it preaches, but through the practical application of its teachings in our day to day lives. We all constantly struggle, whether that's with self doubt, anxiety, personal relationships, family issues, or health problems, and life will continually provide us with challenges to overcome. We don't need another book reminding us how hard life is, or a set of steps to overcome whatever is currently challenging us. What we need is a set of values and priorities to apply regularly and repeatedly, so we can rise above the noise, focus on what matters, face our inner demons and make the best use of this vessel we call our body until our death ultimately arrives. That's the greatest strength of Stillness is the Key, it's preachy at times, and it may get too detailed and talkative in its historical examples, but every time it does it quickly gets back to what matters - how you can apply these lessons in your own life, regularly, and be reminded of them to make the most of the things that actually matter.I highly I recommend this book, as well as the other two books in this trilogy, which I've also read. They're meant to be read and felt deeply, and few books will provide such a practical application to battling the inherent challenges of life.

Ryan holiday does a great job in highlighting the moments of stillness in important figures in our culture. It is important to utilize this stillness in order to maintain the quality of our thoughts, feelings, etc. In a noisy world, it is a must read. 👍

This book is unbelievably good. I thought it was going to say -- you should meditate and some basic advice on things I'm already doing or aware of. While he mentions meditation briefly, this book talks about many many different areas of life.From believing in a higher power to owning material possessions - he covers all the things that really matter.Like his other books, and something he is soooo good at, he peppers in stories from famous athletes and celebrities to bigger than life historical figures. He draws on lessons from Jesus, Buddha, the 12 steps and (obviously) the stoics. So this isn't just for people who fetishize one school of thought.Not that it matters to most people, but I also want to mention as someone who's in recovery, that Ryan is spot on with his understanding of the 12 Steps and the fellowships that embody them. This is very rare... But rather he gets the deeper spiritual meaning of things, like being of service.So while I'm not an expert stoic or buddhist, I trust that he's turned these ancient traditions into a modern day piece of philosophy that is easy to consume and very practical.And that is just the thing... This book is a book of philosophy written for the 21 century -- where we have smart phones, social media, remote work and globalization. Personally, I've tried to get into the some of the ancient texts on these topics, but I always struggled to really wrap my head around them, since they are written for such a different time with such a different style than modern communication... But not with this.I'm very excited to see what else he creates in the years to come.Now that I just finished this book, I'm quite literally going to restart it.