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Stillness Is the Key Hardcover – October 1, 2019
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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.
- Print length288 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherPortfolio
- Publication dateOctober 1, 2019
- Dimensions5.2 x 0.96 x 7.27 inches
- ISBN-100525538585
- ISBN-13978-0525538585
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Customers find the book excellent, easy to read, and essential for today's times. They also say it's insightful, inspiring, and carries immense wisdom. Readers describe the writing quality as well-thought-out, amazing, and artful. They mention the book leaves them feeling both still and uplifted.
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Customers find the book excellent, easy to read, and essential for today's times. They say the writing is informative and inspiring. Readers also appreciate the simple wisdom.
"...Holiday’s book is a well written “how to” book on creating a better life not only for you but also for the people that surround you that you love..." Read more
"...Possibly the best guideline for living that exists in the troubled chaotic environment of today’s world!" Read more
"...a no-nonsense approach to finding some peace of mind, this book is worth a read." Read more
"...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." Read more
Customers find the book very insightful and inspiring. They say it carries immense wisdom that reinforces how important the lessons are. Readers also mention the book unlocks and clarifies ancient teachings and modern interpretation of life guiding tenets. They say it's thought-provoking and filled with good advice on how to live better.
"...That aside, I still found Holiday’s book fascinating...." Read more
"...Unlocks and clarifies the ancient teachings and modern interpretation of life guiding tenets and their application in our personal world...." Read more
"It’s an inspiring book. But I was expecting more of a stoic philosophy and less of a famous people examples...." Read more
"...Holiday's presentation of them ties them all together and reinforces how important they are, and the book left me feeling committed to trying..." Read more
Customers find the book well-written, thought-out, and amazingly written. They also describe it as an easy read with artful prose. Readers mention the author is talented and organized.
"...It is very depressing to say the least. Yet even for me, this book is God-sent because it reinforces a life you would want to live by...." Read more
"...Again, the formatting was well done and was definitely interesting...." Read more
"...This “appeal to the bandwagon” fallacy is constantly repeated, with the implication that because belief in a deity was widespread in the past that..." Read more
"Ryan Holiday is a very talented writer. I've loved his previous books Discipline is Destiny and Ego is the Enemy. This was no different...." Read more
Customers find the book calming, uplifted, and calmly energized with purpose. They say it helps them find stillness in their hearts and minds. Readers also mention the book is interesting and enjoyable.
"...clear in its delineation of states of philosophy, and was a quiet pleasure to read." Read more
"...Call it stillness. It doesn’t matter. What matters is the ability to remain calm, focused, and prepared in a busy and noisy world." Read more
"Extremely satisfied with this book. You will feel peace as you read this. The author reminds us of how important it is to cultivate stillness...." Read more
"Very relevant to our time. Stillness is indeed key in every facet of life. Highly recommended as a must read." Read more
Customers have mixed opinions about the pacing of the book. Some mention it completes an awesome trilogy, while others say it's repetitive and boring.
"...The chapters are well developed and they always have a brief introductory story of some famous individual that used elements described in the book..." Read more
"...There is, in fact, a lot of redundancy found throughout the book, along with a large dose of empty phrases with little substance...." Read more
"...This is a great book. A great way to end the night, or start the morning. Its also a quick read with just the right pace, teachings and facts...." Read more
"You’ll see a number of reviewers who claim that the book is repetitive, not original etc. My suggestion is to ignore them...." Read more
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Disclaimer. I am well aware of how many people who should know about such things recommend that people SHOULD engage in stillness or meditation. I have tried and have failed primarily because when I attempt at stillness and quietness, my head wants to explode because of the long-time suffering from Tinnitus, the ringing in my head that never ceases and is enhanced whenever I am in total silence. It is very depressing to say the least. Yet even for me, this book is God-sent because it reinforces a life you would want to live by. It is extremely difficult for me to imagine someone reading this book and not improving their outlook on life. It is that good.
That aside, I still found Holiday’s book fascinating. The following quote from book explains why YOU should read it as well as anyone who you value in life: “Confucius and his followers spoke constantly of the cultivation of wisdom, saying that it is achieved in the same way that a craftsman develops skill: by putting in the time.” Everyone could benefit from reading this book but I would suggest that everyone over the age of four should at least read the chapter titled Limit Your Inputs. Holiday is so very much on target and when you read just this one chapter you KNOW that he is and you can probably see yourself in the people he describes and trust me, that is NOT a good thing.
Holiday’s book is a well written “how to” book on creating a better life not only for you but also for the people that surround you that you love and who love you. A quote from the book is right on point when it comes to defining the value of maintaining a personal journal: “That is what journaling is about. It’s spiritual windshield wipers, as the writer Julia Cameron once put it.”
Who should read this book? From the book: “People who don’t read have no advantage over those who cannot read.” If YOU read this book and just practice some of Holiday’s advice, your life would be a better for having read it. If two read it, double the results. But if an entire country were to read and practice its lessons, the world would truly be a better place to live for eternity! Everyone should read and practice this book.
Would I read it again? There would be no need, except to locate specific quotes from people throughout history that you may want to use.
Would I give it as a gift? ABSOLUTELY!
Here's why:. Holiday dishes out practical wisdom without all the fancy jargon, and in "Stillness is the Key," he shows how finding stillness in the everyday chaos is the secret sauce to a better life. Don't get me wrong, there's really nothing new and groundbreaking here - these ideas have been around for millennia - but that's the beauty of how he frames and presents it all.
From stories about normal people to high-profile business leaders, and of course, applying what the Stoics figured out long ago, he breaks down how taking a breather can actually make a difference. It's not a super fluffy and zen self-help book; it's like a guidebook for regular people trying to keep our heads straight in the daily grind. If you're looking for a no-nonsense approach to finding some peace of mind, this book is worth a read.
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.









