by Ryan Holiday
First published 2017
Most people blame external forces for blocking their path to success. Holiday argues the real obstacle lives inside us. Our ego sabotages learning early in careers, blinds us to flaws when we succeed, and amplifies pain during setbacks. Holiday draws lessons from figures who reached extraordinary heights by defeating their inner enemy. Howard Hughes, Katharine Graham, Bill Belichick, and Eleanor Roosevelt all mastered themselves before mastering their fields. The book spans literature, philosophy, and history to reveal their methods. In an age that celebrates social media posturing and reality TV narcissism, Holiday shows why fighting ego matters more than ever. Readers learn to abandon stories about their own specialness and focus on meaningful work instead.
Genres: psychology, business, self-help, non-fiction, 21st-century, personal-development
Vibes: intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: overcoming-obstacles, self-improvement
226 pages · Paperback · Profile Books Ltd