{"id":58564,"date":"2022-01-16T12:11:00","date_gmt":"2022-01-16T16:11:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=58564"},"modified":"2022-01-26T11:42:30","modified_gmt":"2022-01-26T15:42:30","slug":"the-obstacle-is-the-way-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/the-obstacle-is-the-way-review\/","title":{"rendered":"The Obstacle Is the Way: Review &#038; Critical Reception"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>What is Ryan Holiday&#8217;s <em>The Obstacle Is the Way<\/em> about? What is the Stoic secret to staying calm and unperturbed in the face of adversity? <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>The Obstacle Is the Way<\/em> is an instruction manual on how to solve life\u2019s toughest problems, based on the teachings of the Stoics of Ancient Greece. Ryan Holiday argues that by adopting the Stoics\u2019 historically proven formula for success, you can redirect the forces that typically work against you and will them to push you toward your goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The following <em>The Obstacle Is the Way<\/em> review covers the book&#8217;s context, background, and critical reception by the readers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-about-the-author\"><strong>About the Author<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Ryan Holiday began his career after dropping out of college at age 19, when Robert Greene, author of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/app\/book\/the-48-laws-of-power\/1-page-summary\"><em>The 48 Laws of Power<\/em><\/a>, agreed to take him on as an \u201capprentice.\u201d A year later, he got a job in the PR department of American Apparel, eventually becoming the company\u2019s director of marketing. During this time, Holiday also founded his own consulting firm <a href=\"https:\/\/www.brasscheck.net\/\">Brass Check<\/a>, which has served such high-profile clients as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/app\/book\/awaken-the-giant-within\/1-page-summary\">Tony Robbins<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/app\/book\/the-4-hour-workweek\">Tim Ferriss<\/a>. After releasing <em>The Obstacle Is the Way<\/em>, Holiday\u2019s career as a nonfiction author took off, and he quit marketing to focus on writing full time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Holiday first encountered Stoicism at 19. Holiday recounts that at this age, he <a href=\"https:\/\/ryanholiday.net\/the-reading-list\/\">made it a habit to ask as many successful people as possible for book recommendations<\/a>. He read <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/app\/book\/meditations\/1-page-summary\">Marcus Aurelius\u2019s <em>Meditations<\/em><\/a> after Dr. Drew Pinsky, host of the radio show <em>Loveline<\/em>, recommended it to him and credits this event as a pivotal moment in his life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Holiday is also the founder of <a href=\"https:\/\/dailystoic.com\/\">the Daily Stoic blog<\/a> and currently hosts <a href=\"https:\/\/dailystoic.com\/podcast\/\">its daily podcast<\/a>, offering bite-sized lessons in Stoicism and interviewing top performers from a variety of disciplines. He currently lives on a ranch in Texas, raising cows, goats, chickens, and other animals when he isn\u2019t writing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Connect with Ryan Holiday:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/ryanholiday.net\/\">Website<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ryanholiday\">Facebook<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RyanHoliday?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor\">Twitter<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/ryanholiday\/?hl=en\">Instagram<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/ryanholiday\">LinkedIn<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-book-s-publication\"><strong>The Book\u2019s Publication<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Publisher: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.penguinrandomhouse.com\/books\/314003\/the-obstacle-is-the-way-by-ryan-holiday\/9781591846352\">Penguin Random House<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Imprint: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.penguin.com\/publishers\/portfolio\/\">Portfolio<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>The Obstacle Is the Way<\/em> is Holiday\u2019s third book, published in 2014. The book originated from a <a href=\"https:\/\/tim.blog\/2009\/04\/13\/stoicism-101-a-practical-guide-for-entrepreneurs\/\">guest post on Stoicism that Holiday wrote for Tim Ferriss\u2019s blog in 2009<\/a>. Impressed with the piece, a publisher approached Holiday with a deal for a book on Stoicism, but he declined the offer, as he <a href=\"https:\/\/thoughtcatalog.com\/ryan-holiday\/2016\/03\/572836\/\">didn\u2019t think he was yet experienced enough to tackle such an important project<\/a>. He shelved the book for several years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Holiday became moderately infamous after the release of his first book <a href=\"https:\/\/www.penguinrandomhouse.com\/books\/311968\/trust-me-im-lying-by-ryan-holiday\/\"><em>Trust Me, I\u2019m Lying<\/em><\/a> (2012), an expos\u00e9 of the Internet news media in which he confessed to manipulating online publications into spreading disinformation for free viral publicity. His reputation as a shady marketing expert faded with the release of <em>The Obstacle Is the Way<\/em>, replaced by a public image centered around Stoicism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Holiday followed <em>The Obstacle Is the Way<\/em> with several other books on modern Stoicism, including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/app\/book\/ego-is-the-enemy\"><em>Ego Is the Enemy<\/em><\/a> (2016) and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.penguinrandomhouse.ca\/books\/591652\/stillness-is-the-key-by-ryan-holiday\/9780525538585\"><em>Stillness Is the Key<\/em><\/a> (2019), which are sold with this book <a href=\"https:\/\/www.penguinrandomhouse.com\/books\/618176\/the-way-the-enemy-and-the-key-by-ryan-holiday\/\">as a boxed trilogy<\/a>. All three books are written in a similar style: short chapters of historical anecdotes intended to illustrate specific Stoic principles from a self-help perspective. Holiday also published <a href=\"https:\/\/www.penguinrandomhouse.com\/books\/545426\/the-daily-stoic-by-ryan-holiday-and-stephen-hanselman\/\"><em>The Daily Stoic<\/em><\/a> with co-author Stephen Hanselman in 2016, a \u201cdaily devotional\u201d split into a year\u2019s worth of brief lessons in Stoicism. Holiday\u2019s first book in a new series based on Stoicism\u2019s cardinal virtues, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.penguinrandomhouse.com\/books\/646295\/courage-is-calling-by-ryan-holiday\/\"><em>Courage Is Calling<\/em><\/a>, was published in 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-intellectual-context\"><strong>Intellectual Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Holiday primarily draws his ideas from the Stoics\u2019 original writings. He specifically cites the ancient works <a href=\"https:\/\/shortform.com\/app\/book\/meditations\"><em>Meditations<\/em><\/a> by Marcus Aurelius, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.penguinrandomhouse.com\/books\/317438\/letters-from-a-stoic-by-seneca-translated-by-robin-campbell\/\"><em>Letters from a Stoic<\/em><\/a> by Seneca, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.penguinrandomhouse.com\/books\/304102\/discourses-and-selected-writings-by-epictetus\/\"><em>Discourses<\/em><\/a> by Epictetus as his main inspirations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Holiday is far from the first person to bring these ideas into the modern age. Psychologist Aaron T. Beck, who in the 1960s developed what later would become modern cognitive therapy, <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Contemporary_Stoicism#Psychology_and_psychotherapy\">credits Stoicism as the philosophical basis behind the therapeutic approach<\/a>. In addition, academics turned greater attention to Stoicism as the topic of \u201cvirtue ethics\u201d became popular throughout the late 20th century. Finally, the rise of the Internet and communities such as the <a href=\"https:\/\/modernstoicism.com\/\">Modern Stoicism Organization<\/a> helped turn Stoicism into a major contemporary movement, as Stoicism\u2019s self-help applications attracted a broad audience. Books like <a href=\"https:\/\/global.oup.com\/academic\/product\/a-guide-to-the-good-life-9780195374612?cc=ie&amp;lang=en&amp;\"><em>A Guide to the Good Life<\/em><\/a> (2008) and <a href=\"https:\/\/library.teachyourself.com\/id004325508\/Stoicism-and-the-Art-of-Happiness\"><em>Stoicism and the Art of Happiness<\/em><\/a> (2018) capitalized on and contributed to this wave of pop-Stoicism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Holiday argues that most modern books about Stoicism obscure its main ideas and end up reducing their core value. In Holiday\u2019s eyes, the only other modern Stoic thinker worth reading is the French philosopher Pierre Hadot. He cites Hadot\u2019s books <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wiley.com\/en-us\/Philosophy+as+a+Way+of+Life%3A+Spiritual+Exercises+from+Socrates+to+Foucault-p-9780631180333\"><em>Philosophy as a Way of Life<\/em><\/a><em> <\/em>(1995) and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hup.harvard.edu\/catalog.php?isbn=9780674007079\"><em>The Inner Citadel<\/em><\/a><em> <\/em>(2001) as successful attempts to clarify Stoic ideas for practical living.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-book-s-impact\"><strong>The Book\u2019s Impact<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Soon after it was written, <em>The Obstacle Is the Way<\/em> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/nfl\/2015\/12\/08\/ryan-holiday-nfl-stoicism-book-pete-carroll-bill-belichick\">became a cult classic among famous high performers, most notably professional athletes<\/a>. Prior to their 2014 Super Bowl win, the coaches of the New England Patriots distributed copies of the book to the entire team. The media continued to report as players and coaches on other NFL teams, including the Seattle Seahawks and the New Orleans Saints, sang the book\u2019s praises. <em>The Obstacle Is the Way <\/em>infiltrated the MLB (<a href=\"https:\/\/dailystoic.com\/obstacle-is-the-way-summary\/\">Chicago Cubs<\/a>), the NBA (<a href=\"https:\/\/nymag.com\/strategist\/article\/chris-bosh-favorite-things.html\">Miami Heat<\/a>), and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2016\/12\/06\/fashion\/ryan-holiday-stoicism-american-apparel.html\">even the Olympics<\/a>\u2014athletes and coaches on the US women\u2019s soccer and volleyball teams and US men\u2019s wrestling and gymnastics teams swear by it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>The Obstacle Is the Way<\/em> became more famous as celebrities from other fields professed their admiration, including Arnold Schwarzenegger, rapper LL Cool J, author <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/app\/book\/the-war-of-art\">Steven Pressfield<\/a>, and NBC sportscaster Michele Tafoya.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This growing grassroots following eventually led to <em>The Obstacle Is the Way<\/em> becoming <a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20190622174344\/https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/entertainment\/books\/wall-street-journal-best-sellers\/2019\/06\/21\/297fcc86-947f-11e9-956a-88c291ab5c38_story.html?utm_term=.46fc20831fe6\">the #1 e-book on the <em>New York Times<\/em> bestseller list in 2019<\/a>, five years after it was published. <em>The New York Times <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2016\/12\/06\/fashion\/ryan-holiday-stoicism-american-apparel.html\">credits Ryan Holiday for popularizing Stoicism as a self-help movement<\/a> with this book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-critical-reception\"><strong>Critical Reception<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><em>The Obstacle Is the Way <\/em>received <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/rogerdooley\/2014\/06\/04\/the-obstacle-is-the-way\/?sh=4c369a403a18\">a positive review from <em>Forbes<\/em><\/a> on release, who described it as \u201can inspiring read for anyone faced with adversity,\u201d but the book flew under the radar of other major publications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fans&#8217; reviews of <em>The Obstacle Is the Way<\/em> were largely positive, celebrating the book as life-changing self-help and attesting that it helps them act more virtuously. They praise Holiday for condensing some of the Western world\u2019s most valuable wisdom into a form that\u2019s quick and easy to digest. Supporters also enjoy the storytelling style and examples from history that Holiday uses to present his ideas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Common criticisms of the book include the fact that it\u2019s philosophically shallow, especially compared to other popular contemporary books on Stoicism. The book is mostly made up of variations on the same idea. Additionally, many complain that Holiday doesn\u2019t offer enough actionable advice\u2014he tells you to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-change-your-perspective\/\">change your perspective<\/a> on obstacles without fully explaining how to do so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-commentary-on-the-book-s-approach\"><strong>Commentary on the Book\u2019s Approach<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><em>The Obstacle Is the Way<\/em> isn\u2019t intended to be a comprehensive guide to Stoicism\u2014it\u2019s a self-help book intended for a broad audience. Holiday himself admits to simplifying Stoic ideas to make the book more accessible. As such, the book at times tends to appeal more to the reader\u2019s emotions than their sense of logic. Holiday prefers to present ideas to the reader and hope they resonate rather than to convince the reader of his argument.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-commentary-on-the-book-s-organization\"><strong>Commentary on the Book\u2019s Organization<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><em>The Obstacle Is the Way <\/em>is divided into three parts: \u201cPerception,\u201d \u201cAction,\u201d and \u201cWill,\u201d which Holiday argues are three foundational domains you must master to solve problems like a Stoic.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Holiday\u2019s decisions on which chapters to place in each section can appear arbitrary. Some of the chapters Holiday places in the \u201cAction\u201d section occur internally (\u201cPractice Persistence,\u201d \u201cChannel Your Energy\u201d), while some of the \u201cPerception\u201d and \u201cWill\u201d chapters involve tasks that could be placed on a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/gtd-to-do-list\/\">to-do list<\/a> (\u201cThink Differently,\u201d \u201cAnticipation (Thinking Negatively)\u201d). Additionally, the line between \u201cPerception\u201d and \u201cWill\u201d gets a little blurred, as they both involve perceiving negative situations in an empowering way.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What is Ryan Holiday&#8217;s The Obstacle Is the Way about? What is the Stoic secret to staying calm and unperturbed in the face of adversity? The Obstacle Is the Way is an instruction manual on how to solve life\u2019s toughest problems, based on the teachings of the Stoics of Ancient Greece. Ryan Holiday argues that by adopting the Stoics\u2019 historically proven formula for success, you can redirect the forces that typically work against you and will them to push you toward your goals. The following The Obstacle Is the Way review covers the book&#8217;s context, background, and critical reception by<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":58506,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,458],"tags":[259],"class_list":["post-58564","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-philosophy","category-review","tag-the-obstacle-is-the-way","","tg-column-two"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v24.3 (Yoast SEO v24.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>The Obstacle Is the Way: Review &amp; Critical Reception - Shortform Books<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Is Ryan Holiday&#039;s The Obstacle Is the Way worth reading? 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