Ego Is The Enemy: The Fight To Master Our Greatest Opponent

It's wrecked the careers 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. Every great philosopher has warned against it, in our most lasting stories and countless works of art, in all culture and all ages. Its name? Ego, and it is the enemy - of ambition, of success and of resilience.

In Ego is the Enemy, Ryan Holiday shows us how and why ego is such a powerful internal opponent to be guarded against at all stages of our careers and lives, and that we can only create our best work when we identify, acknowledge and disarm its dangers. Drawing on an array of inspiring characters and narratives from literature, philosophy and history, the book explores the nature and dangers of ego to illustrate how you can be humble in your aspirations, gracious in your success and resilient in your failures.

The result is an inspiring and timely reminder that humility and confidence are our greatest friends when confronting the challenges of a culture that tends to fan the flames of ego, a book full of themes and life lessons that will resonate, uplift and inspire.


Inspiring yet practical ... 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 Mastery)

Ryan Holiday is one of his generation's finest thinkers, and this book is his best yet. (Steven Pressfield, author The War of Art)

Highlights how we can earn confidence by pursuing something bigger than our own success. (Adam Grant, author of Originals and Give and Take)

This book is packed with stories and quotes that will help you get out of your own way. Whether you're starting out or starting over, you'll find something to steal here. (Austin Kleon, author 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)

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. As was said to St. Augustine more than a thousand years ago, "pick it up and read"; for to not do so is to allow the enemy to bring despair. (Dr. Drew Pinsky, host of HLN’s 'Dr. Drew On Call' and 'Love Line')

In this day in age where everyone seeks instant gratification, the idea of success is skewed - many believing the road to their goals is a linear path. As a former professional athlete I can tell you that the road is anything but linear. In fact it is one that consists of twists, turns, and ups and downs - it requires you to put your head down and put in the work. Ryan Holiday hits the nail on the head with this book, reminding us that the real success is in the journey and learning process. I only wish I had this gem as a reference during my playing days. (Lori Lindsey, former U.S. Women’s National Team soccer player)

Philosophy has gotten a bad rap, but Ryan Holiday is restoring it to its rightful place in our lives. This book-packed with unforgettable stories, strategies, and lessons-is perfect for anyone who strives to do and accomplish. It's no exaggeration to say that, after finishing it, you'll never open your laptop and sit down to work the same way again. (Jimmy Soni, former managing editor of Huffington Post and author of Rome's Last Citizen)