The Little Book of Stoicism
author: Jonas Salzgeber
related books: The Happiness Hypothesis, Lessons on Stoicism, Antifragile: Things That Gain From Disorder, The Coddling of the American Mind
The main takeaway
The Little Book of Stoicism gives a practical and accessible introduction to stoicism. The first half covers the essential aspects of the stoic principles. To thrive (reaching Eudaimonia):
focus only on the aspects you can control;
take responsibility for your actions;
try to aim to be the very best of yourself.
Most people have only a limited sphere of control. Most circumstances are outside our power to change. We can choose how to react to what happens around us.
The book's second half outlines more than 50 stoic practices and mindsets one can use to deal with daily hardships or be generally happier. They range from routines such as negative visualisation, voluntary discomfort and a stoic morning routine to mindsets such as considering everything being borrowed from nature, doing good and projecting kindness as strength.
Who is this for?
Life is hard—stoicism is a practical philosophy for becoming a more resilient, better, and generally happier person. Practising stoicism has helped me immensely with my mental well-being. This book is a very accessible introduction to getting started. It is chiefly a self-help book. For those who want a more formal, though still concise introduction, I can also strongly recommend "Lessons on Stoicism" by John Sellars.