Ego Is the Enemy
Ego is the Enemy is a powerful meditation and guide on the nature and dangers of ego. In this book, renowned media strategist Ryan Holiday aims to help you suppress ego early before bad habits take hold, to replace the temptations of ego with humility and discipline, when we experience success, and cultivate strength when you go through failure. Ego is the Enemy draws on a vast array of stories and examples, from literature to philosophy to history, citing numerous historical and contemporary figures along the way. Holiday included the strategies and tactics of fascinating figures such as Howard Hughes, Katharine Graham, Bill Belichick, and Eleanor Roosevelt, all of whom reached the highest levels of power and success by conquering their own egos. The book also discusses the difference between ego and confidence, and argues that the solution to the problem of ego is humility, self-awareness, purpose and realism.
BOOK REVIEWS
"Ryan Holiday is one of his generation’s finest thinkers, and this book is his best yet."
—Steven Pressfield, author of the New York Times bestseller The War of Art
"Whether you’re starting out or starting over, you’ll find something to steal here."
—Austin Kleon, author of the New York Times bestseller Steal Like An Artist
"This is a book I want every athlete, aspiring leader, entrepreneur, thinker and doer to read. Ryan Holiday is one of the most promising young writers of his generation."
—George Raveling, Hall of Fame Basketball coach, Nike’s Director of International Basketball
"I see the toxic vanity of ego at play every day and it never ceases to amaze me how often it wrecks promising creative endeavors. Read this book before it wrecks you or the projects and people you love. Consider it as urgently as you do a proper workout regimen and eating right. Ryan’s insights are priceless."
—Marc Ecko, founder of Ecko Unltd and Complex
"I don't have many rules in life, but one I never break is: If Ryan Holiday writes a book, I read it as soon as I can get my hands on it."
—Brian Koppelman, screenwriter and director, Rounders, Ocean’s Thirteen and Billions
"In his new book Ryan Holiday attacks the greatest obstacle to mastery and true success in life—our insatiable ego. In an inspiring yet practical way, he teaches us how to manage and tame this beast within us so that we can focus on what really matters—producing the best work possible."
—Robert Greene, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Mastery
"“We’re often told that to achieve success, we need confidence. With refreshing candor, Ryan Holiday challenges that assumption, highlighting how we can earn confidence by pursuing something bigger than our own success."
—Adam Grant, author of the New York Times bestsellers Originals and Give and Take
"Once again Ryan Holiday has laid down the gauntlet for readers willing to challenge themselves with the tough questions of our time. Every reader will find truths that are pertinent to each of our lives. Ego can be the enemy if we are unarmed with the cautionary insights of history, scripture, and philosophy."
—Dr. Drew Pinsky, host of HLN’s “Dr. Drew On Call” and “Love Line”
"Ryan Holiday reminds us that the real success is in the journey and learning process."
—Lori Lindsey, former U.S. Women’s National Team soccer player
"I would like to rip out every page and use them as wallpaper so I could be reminded constantly of the humility and work it takes to truly succeed. In the margins of my copy, I have scrawled the same message over and over—'pre-Gold.'"
—Chandra Crawford, Olympic Gold Medalist
"What a valuable book for those in positions of authority! It has made me a better judge."
—The Honorable Frederic Block, United States District Judge and author of Disrobed
"It's rare that I finish a book then immediately reread it, this time with a yellow marker in hand…I can't recommend this book highly enough."
—Kevin Rose, entrepreneur and technology investor
"In an age when self-promotion and celebrity are glorified to the hilt and 'hero' gets overused, Ryan Holiday's book is a reminder that the biggest impediment to achievement is often ourselves. Holiday retells stories of the famous and not so famous that will both inspire you and stop you in your tracks."
—Edith Chapin, executive editor at NPR News
"Removing the ego is a daily struggle but it feels a little easier after reading this."
—Martellus Bennett, NFL Tight End, Super Bowl Champion