The Obstacle is the Way has become a cult classic, beloved by men and women around the world who apply its wisdom to become more successful at whatever they do.

Its many fans include a former governor and movie star (Arnold Schwarzenegger), a hip hop icon (LL Cool J), an Irish tennis pro (James McGee), an NBC sportscaster (Michele Tafoya), and the coaches and players of winning teams like the New England Patriots, Seattle Seahawks, Chicago Cubs, and University of Texas men’s basketball team.

The book draws its inspiration from stoicism, the ancient Greek philosophy of enduring pain or adversity with perseverance and resilience. Stoics focus on the things they can control, let go of everything else, and turn every new obstacle into an opportunity to get better, stronger, tougher. As Marcus Aurelius put it nearly 2000 years ago: “The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.”

Ryan Holiday shows us how some of the most successful people in history—from John D. Rockefeller to Amelia Earhart to Ulysses S. Grant to Steve Jobs—have applied stoicism to overcome difficult or even impossible situations. Their embrace of these principles ultimately mattered more than their natural intelligence, talents, or luck.

If you’re feeling frustrated, demoralized, or stuck in a rut, this book can help you turn your problems into your biggest advantages. And along the way it will inspire you with dozens of true stories of the greats from every age and era.

Listening Length

4 hours and 38 minutes
Author

Ryan Holiday
Narrator

Ryan Holiday
Audible release date

February 14, 2023
Language

English
Publisher

Penguin Audio
ASIN

B0BT53FNVH
Version

Unabridged
Program Type

Audiobook
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Product details

Listening Length	4 hours and 38 minutes
Author	Ryan Holiday
Narrator	Ryan Holiday
Whispersync for Voice	Ready
Audible.com Release Date	February 14, 2023
Publisher	Penguin Audio
Program Type	Audiobook
Version	Unabridged
Language	English
ASIN	B0BT53FNVH
Best Sellers Rank	#336 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals) #5 in Philosophy (Audible Books & Originals) #8 in Motivational Management & Leadership #15 in Business Motivation & Self-Improvement (Audible Books & Originals)

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5

24,550 global ratings

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Clubber Lang

Ryan Holiday? Great book if you want to learn. Not a book for people who believe in "The Secret".

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 25, 2014

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While I know Ryan personally, I believe that I am uniquely qualified to review this book and, after reading a lot of the comments, add to the discussion. A lot of people miss that Ryan is articulating a journey and is translating it into something edible and powerful. Something 99% of us at ANY age cannot do, even with "wisdom of experience".

Storytelling has been around since the beginning of time, but actual mass communication has been around for a very short time (relatively). It looks as if the "paper book" business will become a specialty- if surviving at all. I know that Ryan knows this as he has always been quick to lend an idea, do some digging and most important- analyze and decide. As he uses as an example in his book, he pulls an Amelia Earhart and ACTS. He can talk about Tesla in the same sentence as popular games on the meat markets in early Chicago. He has read (studied) Marshall McLuhan to Malcolm Gladwell. This rabid quest to find out and face his own soul searching path- has delivered a perfect book for the RIGHT PERSON. This is not Chicken Soup for the Soul.

Ryan has done WAY more and influenced WAY more decisions than he would ever talk about, but has helped untangle talent and communication complications (i.e- market properly) using many of his methods he developed under Robert Greene and even 50 Cent and Tucker Max. He helped in stealth, but in critical ways, to launch, maintain and capitalize on #1 Films, TV Shows, YouTube and MANY multi platinum musical artists. I can vouch for it myself.

It is always amazing to read a review somewhere when that person has never faced down rejection and fear and can criticize anyone for at least putting their thoughts and ideas out there for judgment. To do that, when the WORLD is telling you that finishing college is the only way to go and you have the same people close to you saying that you will fail- it truly was an Obstacle to overcome. It only got more intense for Ryan, but his lessons are earned. He was led to the water, but unlike most people, he drank. How can you question the message, integrity and courage of that? Steven Pressfield, one of our generations best and most diverse authors, has called it "The Resistance". Even he endorsees the book on the dust jacket.

The reason that I preface the review this way is to show you Ryan's true accomplishment here- articulating what he has learned, applying it to clear examples people can remember and also help people. There have been big choices in Ryan's life- not the least of which was whether to go in house for a safe "job" or "bet on himself". He DID what he talks about here. It is the true reflection on a part of his life and the methods HE used to combat them. This is especially important for a generation who "has ADD" and can't relate to the past. At 22- I think it would be silly to not monitor this refreshing voice and mind as he progress'. He actually went and spent time with Dr. Drew after reading his not so best selling books.

Marcus Aurelius is the clear hero in this book, being compared to boxer "Hurricane" Carter (among others), while dealing with your internal power. The ideas and themes of the book seem to come from some Herman Hesse and Tom Wolfe as much as out of print magazines and long dead historical stars of their time. That is what is so attractive. Anyone should find a part of this to relate to. This is especially helpful to someone who wants a quick boost of intellect instead of trying to muscle through a biography (but he def refers to a lot of interesting people I need to read more about). Ryan does not rely on the same tired stereotyped figures from the past, but finds new, more relatable, characters and situations. Athletes, Entrepreneurs, Parents and CEO's, and those looking to look at life in a certain lens, will benefit greatly.

Think you are having a bad day? Open your eyes and you will find out that another historical leader (other than Churchill) suffered severe depression while running the country that may or may not exist depending on his choices- Abraham Lincoln (didn't see a lot of that in the movie). Grant, Nietzsche and Edison all make a story about fortitude and acceptance. A much different approach than looking in a window and imaging you will get the new purse that is in there and moving on. Again- this is intended for action and not philosophy.

Self Help crap would be fine if it worked, but that means there would only be one book- and it would work. Awareness. Dealing with fear and uncertainty. Mindful and deliberate. Shame and guilt. Accountability and results. How did other people deal with this? Only through careful research do these stories become just as powerful to the man who believes that history is a verb as they are to someone just trying to make it through their day.

The point is- you are not alone. In fact, you are not even close to being the first person today to experience multiple obstacles. It is comforting to see how adversity has been confronted in the past. This is a book for those who believe in Realpolitik and seeing life for what it is. I would say it is the actual back up action plan to what a mystical book like the Mayan based best seller, "The 4 Agreements", is. Although the book is very much based on stoic principles it makes no judgements about your belief system in a macro way.

I can see how this book can have some legs for people try to cope with a new world where you have too much or think you have too little- information to ingest. It is a reference book that can be returned to over and over.

Ryan Holiday is an important voice in the book space these days. Mostly because he is willing to actually commit to writing good books as well as growing his digital presence quickly. Non fiction at that age in 2014 is pretty impressive and patient. He can deal w Dov Charney, 50 Cent, Tucker Max and many others- due to his diversity. His "Read to Lead" mentality is refreshing and way more valuable than any class. He has a Best Seller in "Growth Hacking" at the same time, so holding his own with decades older armchair authors, while understanding the generation gap in communication is not such a bad way to describe this book.

And finally...yes- he uses the bible as reference at times..

45 people found this helpful

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saomarinas

Resilience is a tool for success

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 15, 2023

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Expecting to succeed in life is different from expecting life to be obstacle free. Success includes managing obstacles, sometimes so painful it looks like we won’t make it. This book gives you the mental tools, the philosophy and examples of why it is worth to never give up

One person found this helpful

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Shelley Warticki

Inspiring

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 22, 2023

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We all have tough times. This books teaches you to embrace them and not see them as a negative. That will be your strength.

One person found this helpful

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Christine M. Engel

Good read

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 19, 2023

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Although it took a long time to get here from London, It is what I expected. Would get it from somewhere fairly local next time.

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GoneFishing.

If only...

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 20, 2023

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... we could learn to transform hardship into opportunities.... this book simply show us the way.
Fast shipping, really appreciate.

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Emanuel

A must for mental fortitude

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 8, 2023

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Ryan Holiday delivered with this book. The Obstacle Is the Way is well written and will help polish your notion of resiliency and temperance. The knowledge contained in the pages is priceless and can improve any individual’s outlook on life and its so called obstacles.

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Kristopher Madaus

Potentially Life-Changing

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 2, 2023

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I became interested in Stoicism a few years ago, but I couldn’t find a book that clicked with me. Of course, I’ve see Ryan’s videos before, and I just thought they made sense, but they were also intense. I finally picked up this book, and it really clicked with me. It is well-written, there are lots of interesting stories, and it provides practical ideas to make yourself a better person instead of abstract rules. It’s simple, but as Ryan states, it’s not easy. I finished this book in one week. I read it as often as I had time because it was so good. And I’m hungry for more. I highly recommend this book.

4 people found this helpful

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Jackie

Good read

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 27, 2023

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Good choice for self help

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Neil Lucock

Best avoided, buy something better

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on February 8, 2018

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This had lots of good reviews and was recommended by a Stoic site, but I don't think it is worth having. I've read about half up to now and I'm losing interest, I doubt I'll finish reading it. Lots of heartwarming examples of people who were not actually Stoics but exhibited some form of Stoic behaviour don't really convince me that the author had anything useful to say. The book feels like he padded it out to make the word count, there's little in the way of original insights or things you didn't realise. The fact that he uses a lot of stories from American sports is something I personally find tedious, I have no idea who the people are or what he's writing about. I really dislike chapters that are three pages long. I also found his use of English was poor, it's not fluid, you constantly notice how he's expressed himself, rather than what he's said. Good English should be unobtrusive and flow from the page to the reader's mind without you noticing it.

He does explain the basics, so it's not a bad book to read if you have never encountered Stoic ideas before, but he doesn't seem to cover the subject in any depth. I'm waiting for him to introduce concepts like Eudaimonia and Apatheia, but this book reads too much like a self-help book for my taste. He's constantly offering military insights, not all of them accurate (The German attack on Poland in 1939 was a series of Kesselslachen, not Blitzkrieg). Lots of them are about American generals, quite a rich field where you can find many good examples, but after a quick introduction of Sherman (for example), he briefly discusses his personal qualities and he then moves on. Sherman wasn't a stoic (He was a Catholic as an adult), it's as if the author is trying to find things that can be used to support his views. Sherman was mired in controversy several times in his life and had a nervous breakdown in 1861. He was an effective general but not a good choice to support the book's narrative. This book is more like a magazine article or an essay written by someone who knows nothing about the subject but has researched it well on-line.
There are a lot of better books to read on the subject that offer more depth and better insights. I'd not recommend this book to anyone who showed any interest in the subject.

241 people found this helpful

Liam Kelleher

Nauseating, limited research and poorly written - made me angry, not stoic

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on June 8, 2020

Verified Purchase

Have you ever seen those ads on the internet? “Change your life today for only all of your money”. And you are taken to some badly written course outline that reeks of a pyramid scheme. The self help world is riddled with cons and Ryan Holiday is the latest addition.

The man is a tv marketer by background - he knows how to fool the masses. And he has somehow managed to get his online badly written life changing course printed.

He basically takes a few basic stoic concepts - don’t worry about what you can’t control, work hard, remain positive etc - and spin a book out of it. Throw in the names of Marcus Aurelius and Seneca along with some modern anecdotes and you are deemed a genius, according to a few people on the back (who clearly haven’t read the book or are part of the self help pyramid scheme)

The anecdotes themselves are horribly cliché. Just name drops people that everyone will know such as Edison, Lincol, Eisenhower, the Lakers (marketing 101 - don’t lose your audience). The bits and bobs of history are so basic and sometimes just wrong - I’m not sure he even bothered to google some of it.

The attempts at motivation amount to little other than “are you ready to go to work? Let’s get to work!”

The writing is blatantly dreadful and nauseating “Lincoln possessed an inner mental fortress that girdered him” Jesus.

It might seem like a good book if you are under 20 and haven't read any self help books before but if you’ve ever read any few before this, you will be quite disappointed with this.

32 people found this helpful

Pragmatic Engineer

4* for the novice, 3* for experienced readers

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on November 1, 2017

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I had high expectations for this book which it didn't quite live up to. Ryan Holiday opens this book and bases his narrative around a quote by the Emperor Marcus Aurelius, which indicates there are 3 critical steps to overcoming an obstacle: (i) perspective, (ii) action and (iii) will/perseverance.

The book is then subsequently sectioned into 3 parts on (i) perspective, (ii) action and (iii) will/perseverance. Each part is divided into roughly 8-10 sub sections. Each sub section is several pages long and offers one key insight. e.g. perspective can be objective/subjective or perspectives create opportunities etc etc.

The book uses anecdotes of successful historical figures to validate ideas which includes the use of Politicians (Lincoln, Roosevelt), Athletes (Hurricane Carter), George Clooney to name a few. There is also many references to Stoic philosophers (Epictetus, Demosthenes, Marcus etc).

Overall I agreed mostly with the proposition of the book. I didn't however believe that the anecdotes supply sufficient reasoning to argue these points. It felt that the author cherry-picked case-studies to fit his narrative.

I also tended to find the writing style was slightly awkward and a lot of sentences were of this nature: "leadership requires determination, energy and courage" which by itself often seemed irrelevant. The author also feels the need to use 2 descriptive words at all instances, e.g. "It's easier to persist in our efforts and actions than to endure the uncomfortable or the painful"

Furthermore, if the reader has read about Stoicism before (e.g. The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy by Irvine) then much of the Stoic ideas are recycled. For an introduction to Stoicism with logical arguments I would recommend Irvine (5* read).

To conclude I feel the overall idea is good. This book will be useful for anyone who has to deal with adverse circumstances. It will appeal to people who prefer anecdotes over reasoning.

73 people found this helpful

An A4 page article would have sufficed

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on September 21, 2018

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I have both the audio book and the paper copy of this book. I first got the audio book and thought somehow the content sounded just plain repetitive - different words same message; so thought I'd read the book instead so that I can follow it with more attention. But it transpired that page after page after page may have been filled by the author with words but it is repetition, repetition, and yet more repetition of the message behind the content. If that was deliberate then well done to the author, he nailed it. For those readers and seekers of wisdom (or better understanding of stoicism) find and stick to a good translation of Meditations book of Marcus Aurelius instead; that's where you'll find the originality.

41 people found this helpful

Overly simplistic and one dimensional

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on June 24, 2020

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I'm no expert on Stoic philosophy but my understanding of it was that can help us be more calm and resilient. Holiday repackages it into some kind of motivation way to make money in order to be successful. The likes of Marcus Aurelious and Seneca would turn in their graves if their philosophy was compared to unscrupulous business owners like John D Rockefellar. He thinks that just by inserting Stoicism on the front cover and a load of philosophical quotes, he can verify his message. He often power phrases these quotes so that he can subtly twist their meaning to suit his own narrative. His main message seems to be that other people are our enemies and they must be vanquished at all costs. I can imagine someone like Patrick Bateman (American Psycho) or Hitler, before invading Poland, lapping this up. Okay Hitler was a bit extreme. He also often contradicts himself, for example we should never give up, but a few pages later, we should never be wedded to a position or some things in life are bigger than us. We should not worry if our actions limit or hurt others and then we should consider their feelings. We need to take urgent action and then we shouldn't be in a hurry. He also randomly mentions we can control what we desire....
He also says we should ignore our feelings and perceptions. While I agree that we should be skeptical of our feelings as they can be unhelpful, we should from time to time at least try to understand where they come from. His approach seems to be to bury our heads in the sand, this seems like the road to toxic masculinity. He likes a bit of good old fashioned male bravado, life is a race and you have to win.
He doesn't take into account simple bad luck and other variables and simply repeats page after page that we need to tackle our problems. We do, but there are other things at play.
For example if our boss asks something unfeasible at work we shouldn't question it, just put our head down and work harder. Working harder seems to be his main tip for a better life, making him sound like Boxer from Animal Farm. Don't question authority or the status quo, just shut up and get on with it. I can imagine what he thinks of protests like BLM.
There are some useful tips however, such as approach obstacles as an opportunity to practice a virtue, such as patience, forgiveness or courage and that we are in control of how we react to our problems. Also we are all guilty of procrastination at times and could benefit from more action. I agree that life is hard and often things contradict themselves. (I'm doing it in this review)
I agree that a degree of anxiety is required in every life but Holiday's approach will have people slitting their wrists and having sky high blood pressure all over the place. He's reinforcing a dog eat dog world where there has to winners and losers. If you're not the next Steve Jobs, cunningly defeating your enemies and taking all the credit, you're a failure and should be ashamed for not working harder. Something Seneca will help us come to terms with a million times better than Holiday.

19 people found this helpful

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