Ancient Wisdom: Stoic Lessons for Self-Mastery

I have read Mr. Ettores other books on leadership and appreciate his intellectual mind for placing it in concrete words for us to read and understand. I am also a learning and practicing Stoic.

The road to being an effective leader is built upon one’s own self-mastery. Mike Ettore has written an excellent guide to understanding and applying the ancient wisdom and principles of Stoicism toward building a sound leadership framework. Ettore writes, “Stoicism provides wisdom, insights, and guidance that can help navigate the inevitable rocks and shoals of life.”Included in the book are close to 100 individual reflections in which each highlights a pragmatic “nugget” of the Stoic philosophy. I include reading and thinking about one reflection each morning as part of my preparation for the day.For anyone who aspires to be a leader, this and the other books written by Mike Ettore provide a wealth of sound and practical information to help you achieve your goal.

I just finished reading Mike Ettore's latest book, Ancient Wisdom: Stoic Lessons for Self-Mastery. When I got the book, I mistakenly thought I would likely give it an initial glance and then read it in fits and starts over the next several weeks amid all my other projects. I was so wrong. Instead of that leisurely approach I found myself pushing through the book, reading the whole thing in one day, while taking notes. Yes, I take notes on books I am reading when they are thought provoking.If you have only heard of Stoicism, but never delved into it, like me, this book will give you a wonderful crash course in its principles and practices. If you are a religious person, like me, you may be automatically biased against anything that smacks of the navel-gazing, or angels on the head of a pin that seem to be hallmarks of philosophical maunderings. Imagine my surprise when I found point after Stoic point already firmly embedded in my own approach to life.The purpose of the book, as stated by the author, is to “help readers learn how to… control their emotional responses to life’s inevitable challenges and obstacles.” The first obstacle this book faces in gaining a broad audience is the misconceptions many have about stoicism, such as those I had. The second obstacle is the current cultural hubris that there is nothing to be learned from dead, white, men (DWM). Greek and Roman philosophers from the second century AD are about as DWM as you can get. Any open-minded reader will realize that, just like Mike, there is a lot to be learned from those who have come before us. Or, to quote Socrates, "Smart people learn from everything and everyone, average people from their experiences, stupid people already have the answers."I strongly recommend this book.

Having been casually exposed to stoicism, I was interested to pick up and read Mike Ettore’s Ancient Wisdom. This book provides the reader with an excellent primer on the matter with many takeaways on the theory, its origin, and application. This book makes one think philosophically about life, family, and work; brining a positive outlook on life. I especially enjoyed the in depth look of Admiral Stockdale, and how he applied this thinking in to his mental survival in a Vietnamese POW camp. Ettore’s Reflection section can be used as a daily read to take in a “thought for the day”. Recommended reading for those in all roles at all levels in government and private industry.

The book illustrates how Admiral Stockdale (7+ year POW in the Hanoi Hilton prison during the Vietnam War) used his core belief in and practice of the Stoic philosophy to survive a grueling regime of physical, emotional and psychological torture over many years. It also provides a clear, brief and readable history of Stoicism and dozens of useful daily life applications in the form of brief Stoic philosopher "reflections" with the added bonus of Mike's related insights. The reader will want to shrink those and put them in their pocket for daily use in countering fear, anxiety and uncertainty of any kind, and any other barrier to living an honorable life of happiness and fulfillment!

2000 year old adages pass the test of time. Ancient Wisdom, Stoic Lesson for Self Mastery captures the essence of the old masters from ancient Grecians and Romans. The author has provided a collection of adages from the likes of Marcus Aurileus, Seneca, Cicero and Epictetus that he brings personal examples of employing theses lessons in his own life.The use of Admiral Stockdale's POW experience add valuable lessons how the Stoic lifestyle empowered and enabled him survive 7 years of captivity.A book that needs to be part of every professional and personal library.