Book Review: The Little Book of Stoicism

Timeless Wisdom to Gain Resilience, Confidence, and Calmness

The Little Book of Stoicism: Timeless Wisdom to Gain Resilience, Confidence, and Calmness (2019) by Jonas Salzgeber is a new publication about applying Stoic philosophy to modern life. The author blogs at the NJ Lifehacks personal development websites, along with his brother Nils Salzgeber.

The Little Book of Stoicism is divided into two parts. The first, What is Stoicism, introduces the reader to the “theory” of Stoic philosophy and psychology. The second part contains 55 Stoic practices for self-improvement.

Part 1 includes chapters on the promise (or goal) of Stoicism, the history of the philosophy, and what Salzgeber calls the “Stoic Happiness Triangle” — his own conceptualization of the key ingredients required for a Stoic attitude and way of life — and it concludes with a chapter on the problem of negative emotions (passions).

Part 2 consists of a series of 55 short chapters, each describing a different Stoic practices. These are divided into three groups. The first deals with more general strategies for resilience-building, such as Stoic acquiescence and the “reserve clause”, contemplating your own mortality, etc. This is followed by techniques applied to challenging situations, such as…