Stillness Is the Key - by Ryan Holiday (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

In The Obstacle Is the Way and Ego Is the Enemy, bestselling author Ryan Holiday made ancient wisdom wildly popular with a new generation of leaders in sports, politics, and technology. In his new book, Stillness Is the Key, Holiday draws on timeless Stoic and Buddhist philosophy to show why slowing down is the secret weapon for those charging ahead.

All great leaders, thinkers, artists, athletes, and visionaries share one indelible quality. It enables them to conquer their tempers. To avoid distraction and discover great insights. To achieve happiness and do the right thing. Ryan Holiday calls it stillness--to be steady while the world spins around you.

In this book, he outlines a path for achieving this ancient, but urgently necessary way of living. Drawing on a wide range of history's greatest thinkers, from Confucius to Seneca, Marcus Aurelius to Thich Nhat Hanh, John Stuart Mill to Nietzsche, he argues that stillness is not mere inactivity, but the doorway to self-mastery, discipline, and focus.

Holiday also examines figures who exemplified the power of stillness: baseball player Sadaharu Oh, whose study of Zen made him the greatest home run hitter of all time; Winston Churchill, who in balancing his busy public life with time spent laying bricks and painting at his Chartwell estate managed to save the world from annihilation in the process; Fred Rogers, who taught generations of children to see what was invisible to the eye; Anne Frank, whose journaling and love of nature guided her through unimaginable adversity.

More than ever, people are overwhelmed. They face obstacles and egos and competition. Stillness Is the Key offers a simple but inspiring antidote to the stress of 24/7 news and social media. The stillness that we all seek is the path to meaning, contentment, and excellence in a world that needs more of it than ever.

Review Quotes

"The next Malcolm Gladwell. Ryan Holiday's just brilliant."
--Lance Armstrong

"Whether you are an athlete, an investor, a writer or an entrepreneur, this little but wise and soulful book will open the door to a healthier, less anxious and more productive life and career."
--Arianna Huffington

"Some authors give advice. Ryan Holiday distills wisdom. This book is a must read for anyone feeling overwhelmed by the frenetic demands of modern life."
--Cal Newport, New York Times bestselling author of Digital Minimalism

"Don't be fooled. Within the pages of this unassuming little book lie a life-changing idea: that in order to move forward, we must learn to be still. Ryan Holiday has done it again."
--Sophia Amoruso, Co-Founder & CEO, Girlboss

"This short and entertaining book provides useful tools and captivating examples on how to keep a healthy, clutter-free and productive mind.
--Manu Ginobili, four time NBA champion and Olympic Gold Medalist

"Ryan Holiday is among the most psychologically wise writers I know. I'm a fan of all of his work, including this new gem, Stillness is the Key. If you struggle--as I do--to find your center in the increasingly noisy and frenetic world we live in, then this book is for you."
--Angela Duckworth, bestselling author of Grit

"In the world today the dangers are many--most notably, the endless distractions and petty battles that make us act without purpose or direction. In this book, through his masterful synthesis of Eastern and Western philosophy, Ryan Holiday teaches us all how to maintain our focus and presence of mind amid the sometimes overwhelming conflicts and troubles of 21st-century life."
--Robert Greene

"Ryan Holiday is one of the brilliant writers and minds of our time. In Stillness is the Key he gives us the blueprint to clear our minds, recharge our souls and reclaim our power."
--Jon Gordon, author of The Energy Bus

"Highly recommended. Great read."
--CJ McCollum, Portland Trailblazers

"Ryan Holiday is a national treasure and a master in the field of self-mastery. In his most compelling book yet, he has mined both the classical literature of the ancient world and cultural touchstones from Mister Rogers to Tiger Woods, and brought his learnings to us in terms that the frantic, distracted, over-caffeinated modern mind can understand and put to use. Highly recommended."
--Steven Pressfield, bestselling author of The War of Art and The Artist's Journey

"A timely, vividly realized reminder to slow down and harness the restorative wonders of serenity."
--Kirkus Reviews

About the Author