Ego is the enemy

For author Holiday (The Obstacle Is the Way), the definition of "ego" is an unhealthy belief in one's own importance. It is when self-confidence becomes arrogance or obstinacy and threatens to undo all past accomplishments. In this work, chapters teach readers how to be humble in aspirations, gracious in triumph, and resilient through failures. The author draws from the ancient classical thinkers and Stoic philosophers and weaves in narratives of current politicians and business leaders. Essentially, says Holiday, it's all about being better businesspeople, better athletes, and mainly better people. VERDICT This concise package for productive living is for everyone who desires to be "someone." © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

It's wrecked the career of promising young geniuses.   It's evaporated great fortunes and run companies into the ground.   It's made adversity unbearable and turned struggle into shame.   It derails ambition, turns success into poison, and makes failure the most bitter taste of all.   Its name? Ego.   Ego is the enemy--of what you want to achieve, of what you have, and what you're struggling to overcome.   It's an internal opponent warned against by every great philosopher, in our most lasting stories and countless works of art, in every culture, in every age.   In the pages of this book, we fight to destroy it before it destroys us. Excerpted from The Ego Is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.