And whatever factors had contributed to its creation, no matter how inevitable war must have appeared, it fell on him, at the very least, to just not make things worse. He is a sought-after speaker, strategist, and the author of many bestselling books including. We are also true to our word. An acrimonious divorce. To succeed. Reviewed in the United States on October 13, 2019. For a life of fulfillment, stillness is key. © 2019 Stillness is the Key, All Rights Reserved. As Arthur Schlesinger Jr., Kennedy's advisor and biographer, wrote, "With his capacity to understand the problems of others, the President could see how threatening the world might have looked to the Kremlin.". His company, Brass Check, has advised companies such as Google, TASER, and Complex, as well as multiplatinum musicians and some of the biggest authors in the world. This, they said, was not only more than justified by the actions of the USSR and Cuba, but it was Kennedy's only option. An emotional, reactive response-an unthinking, half-baked response-will not cut it. These examples are often forced and he contradicts himself from one chapter to the next. It’s part of a trilogy: The Obstacle is the Way (2014), Ego is the Enemy (2016), and Stillness is the Key (2019). This book deals with the more amorphous term of 'stillness' which he uses to refer to ‘peace of mind’. The stillness that we all seek is the path to meaning, contentment, and excellence in a world that needs more of it than In Kennedy's review of Hart's book for the Saturday Review of Literature a few years before, he quoted this passage: Keep strong, if possible. There would be more belligerent accusations from the Russians and confrontations at the UN. ", The space Kennedy gave Khrushchev to breathe and think paid off just in time. An American U-2 spy plane was shot down over Cuba, and the pilot killed. Never corner an opponent, and always assist him to save face. This is, in fact, the first obligation of a leader and a decision maker. The grind of work wears us down and seems to never stop. This Stillness Is The Key Summary will help you unlock the power of slowing down your body and mind for a happier and more peaceful life. "I think we ought to think of why the Russians did this," he told his advisors. It gave both sides a chance to examine the stakes of the crisis and offered Khrushchev the opportunity to reevaluate his impression of Kennedy's supposed weakness. We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Stillness allows us to persevere. What would happen after that, Kennedy wondered? Instead, he uses his usual method of dividing the book into three parts and giving varied examples from the lives of famous people given to him by his researchers. By Christopher Dungeon on October 1, 2019. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph, The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living, The Way, the Enemy, and the Key: A Boxed Set of The Obstacle is the Way, Ego is the Enemy & Stillness is the Key, Lives of the Stoics: The Art of Living from Zeno to Marcus Aurelius, “In this age of manufactured outrage and constant distraction, the ability to choose a focused inner stillness is arguably more important than ever before. Kennedy was a young president born into immense privilege, raised by an aggressive father who hated to lose, in a family whose motto, they joked, was "Don't Get Mad, Get Even." . Please try again. Drawing on a wide range of history's greatest thinkers, from Confucius to Seneca, Marcus Aurelius to Thich Nhat Hahn, John Stuart Mill to Nietzsche, he argues that stillness is not mere inactivity, but the doorway to self-mastery, discipline, and focus. Stillness Is the Key by Ryan Holiday. On October 26, eleven days into the crisis, the Soviet premier wrote Kennedy a letter saying that he now saw that the two of them were pulling on a rope with a knot in the middle-a knot of war. What did Kennedy's advisors think? It sharpens perspective and illuminates connections. In any case, keep cool. With 'The Obstacle is the Way' Holiday stuck to one subject, stoicism, and wrote about what the stoic philosophers taught. Because everyone would be dead. In the tensest moments, Kennedy sought solitude in the White House Rose Garden (afterward, he would thank the gardener for her important contributions during the crisis). What was the man possibly trying to accomplish? It became Kennedy's motto during the Missile Crisis. Didn't the United States have plenty of their own pointed at the Soviets? It became clear to Kennedy that Khrushchev put the missiles in Cuba because he believed Kennedy was weak. We cover why stillness is the key to mastery, freedom, happiness, and tranquility. To achieve happiness and do the right thing. After reading the chapter on desire I decided not to buy copies for my family. Kennedy was not unsympathetic to this argument, but as he explained to the American public in an address on October 22, it wasn't possible to simply back down: The 1930s taught us a clear lesson: Aggressive conduct, if allowed to go unchecked and unchallenged, ultimately leads to war. STILLNESS IS THE KEY Introduction. Stillness is the key to Stoicism, but it’s also the key to life. Good leaders don’t go with their guts. Then read it again. Top subscription boxes – right to your door, © 1996-2021, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates, Business Motivation & Self-Improvement (Books). Stillness Is the Key offers a simple but inspiring antidote to the stress of 24/7 news and social media. On one page, showing his desire to not act alone or selfishly: "Consensus. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free. However, he’s also the co-author, with Stephen Hanselman, of T… How many soldiers would die in an invasion? Stillness is the key to just about everything. Next came announcing and enforcing this five-hundred-mile no-go zone around Cuba (which he brilliantly called a "quarantine" to underplay the more aggressive implications of a "blockade"). The stillness that we all seek is the path to meaning, contentment, and excellence in a world that needs more of it than ever. I have only started this one. Russian submarines surfaced. Consensus. Share it. Then Perennial Seller. One of the staff asked for copies of this book to share with staff and I quickly glanced through it and approved the purchase. As many as seventy million people were expected to die in the first strikes between the United States and Russia. Stillness Is the Key offers a simple but inspiring antidoteto the stress of 24/7 news and social media. Please try again. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 29, 2019, Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 14, 2019. Because his other publications have been so good 'Stillness is the key' is quite a disappointment. In Ryan Holiday’s new book, Stillness is the Key, he argues that stillness is the key to being better at anything you do. As Kennedy received his first briefing on what we now know as the Cuban Missile Crisis-or simply as the Thirteen Days-the president could consider only the appalling stakes. Thank you Mr Holiday. Never proselytizing. Repetitive, cliche, boring and nothing original. Distracted minds are commonplace in today's world. The stillness that we all seek is the path to meaning, contentment, and excellence in a world that needs more of it than ever. Reaching across party lines and past rivalries, he consulted openly with the three still-living ex-presidents and invited the previous secretary of state, Dean Acheson, into the top-secret meetings as an equal. We can see in Kennedy's handwritten notes taken during the crisis, a sort of meditative process by which he tried to do precisely this. Kennedy wanted everyone to slow down so that they could really think about the problem in front of them. It stands, unmoved and the raging of the sea falls still around it.". A moment where the whole game depends on us. Veto. With almost no executive leadership experience under his belt, it's not a surprise, then, that the first year and half of Kennedy's administration had not gone well. Please try your request again later. Kennedy didn't let his own ego dominate the discussions, nor did he allow anyone else's to. Would he break? No fighting, no raised voices. Veto. Not if we want to get it right. What Kennedy knew for certain was that he faced an unprecedented escalation of the long-brewing Cold War between the United States and the USSR. Stillness Is the Key offers a simple but inspiring antidote to the stress of 24/7 news and social media. Stillness is the Key explains to readers that if you want to enjoy success in your life, you must be consistent in your approach. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. It is the key that unlocks the insights of genius, and allows us regular folks to understand them.” (p. 2) “It is in the stillness that we can be present and finally see truth. They think with their brains. The stakes may be lower, but to us they will matter. he asked, with real interest. .orange-text-color {font-weight:bold; color: #FE971E;}View high quality images that let you zoom in to take a closer look. Then Ego Is the Enemy. RYAN HOLIDAY is the bestselling author of Trust Me, Iâm Lying; The Obstacle Is the Way; Ego Is the Enemy; Conspiracy and other books about marketing, culture, and the human condition. .orange-text-color {color: #FE971E;} Discover additional details about the events, people, and places in your book, with Wikipedia integration. The stillness that we all seek is the path to meaning, contentment, and excellence in a world that needs more of it than ever. Yet he lets none of this rush him. Not if we want to perform at our best. Every second wasted risked the safety and the reputation of the United States. In Stillness is the Key (Amazon), I feel like Ryan Holiday simply set out to write a guide to the good life—it just so happens that you can weave a theme of stillness through that guide. This understanding would help him respond properly to this unexpected and dangerous provocation-and give him insight into how the Soviets would react to that response. This is our fourth Note on one of Ryan Holiday’s books. I say after having read all his previous books and being a long-time reader. Let me start this off by saying that I rarely write amazon book reviews, but in this case I feel compelled to because this is such a _Fabulous_ book. Stillness Is the Key offers a simple but inspiring antidote to the stress of 24/7 news and social media. The worst part for me was Holiday’s style of writing. Highly recommended! What's most remarkable about this conclusion is how calmly Kennedy came to it. This nation is opposed to war. Would he blink? What would the Russians do to save face or protect their soldiers on the island? Why Ryan missed some of Stoicism’s message on stillness earlier in his life If you’re new to philosophy or spirituality, this book is perfect for you. To avoid distraction and discover great insights. .orange-text-color {font-weight:bold; color: #FE971E;}Enjoy features only possible in digital – start reading right away, carry your library with you, adjust the font, create shareable notes and highlights, and more. After the surprise attack on the missiles, a full-scale invasion of Cuba by American troops would need to follow. And like the Zen saying goes: “It is the silence between the notes that makes the music; it … We must remind ourselves we are embarking on a very hazardous course. Sensing his adversary's political weakness, and likely aware of the chronic physical frailty he endured from Addison's disease and back injuries suffered during World War II, Khrushchev repeatedly lied to Kennedy about any weapons being placed in Cuba, insisting that they would be for defensive purposes only. It was actually scarier and more dire than anyone knew-some of the Soviet missiles, which had been previously thought to be only partly assembled, were armed and ready. Critics are questioning his courage. Stillness is the Key found me in a particular time of my life, - and the same will apply to many others, I believe -, in which there’s very little time to pause, sit still and consider my life. His work has been translated into over 30 languages and has appeared everywhere from the New York Times to Fast Company. Stillness Is The Key is structured into three parts, the three domains where stillness is achieved: the timeless trinity of Mind, Body, and Soul— the head, the human body, and the heart. The subject is a worthy one but the author spends the whole book saying what you should be doing, but he doesn’t point out how you should be doing it. Stillness Is the Key offers a simple but inspiring antidote to the stress of 24/7 news and social media. Missile," or "Veto. The book wavers back and forth between insightful and inane. I felt there was a slight shift towards psychobabble in that he claims the protagonists of the various stories all achieved their success to stillness which is probably stretching things a bit far. Stillness Is the Key offers a simple but inspiring antidoteto the stress of 24/7 news and social media. “All of humanity’s problems,” Blaise Pascal said in 1654, “stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a … “History shows that the ability to cultivate quiet and quell the turmoil inside us, to slow the mind down, to understand our emotions, and to conquer our bodies has always been extremely difficult. Really solid writing and thoughtful work. The stillness that we all seek is the path to meaning, contentment, and excellence in a world that needs more of it than ever. Unlike in the early days of his presidency, when Kennedy allowed the CIA to pressure him into supporting the Bay of Pigs fiasco, this time he surprised everyone by pushing back. Your recently viewed items and featured recommendations, Select the department you want to search in, $12.35 Shipping & Import Fees Deposit to France. The harder each pulled, the less likely it would be that they could ever untie it, and eventually there would be no choice but to cut the rope with a sword. It has a lot of good meaty history and philosophy. Just a few months later, he was diplomatically dominated by Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev in a series of meetings in Vienna. He had recently read Barbara Tuchman's The Guns of August, a book about the beginning of World War I, which imprinted on his mind the image of overconfident world leaders rushing their way into a conflict that, once started, they couldn't stop. Something went wrong. There is a picture of Kennedy with his back to the room, hunched over, leaning both fists on the big desk he had been chosen by millions of voters to occupy. A decision about the future of our career. Suddenly, the crisis was over as quickly as it began. The only problem was that if their logic turned out to be wrong, no one would be around to account for their mistake. In his new book, Stillness Is the Key, Holiday draws on timeless Stoic and Buddhist philosophy to show why slowing down is the secret weapon for those charging ahead. Stillness is the key to the self-mastery, discipline and focus necessary to succeed in this competitive, noisy world. Avoid self-righteousness like the devil-nothing is so self-blinding. Kennedy was ready too. None of it will cloud his judgment or deter him from doing the right thing. "It isn't the first step that concerns me," he said to his advisors as much as to himself, "but both sides escalating to the fourth and fifth step-and we don't go to the sixth because there is no one around to do so. The advice from Kennedy's advisors was immediate and emphatic: The missile sites must be destroyed with the full might of the country's military arsenal. It … They face obstacles and egos and competition. In secret, he also let the Russians know that he was willing to remove American missiles in Turkey, but would do so in several months' time so as not to give the impression that he could be pressured into abandoning an ally. With excellently crafted stories of challenges faced on the paths to stillness, the book is never boring or too wordy. Was he up to this task? After viewing product detail pages, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in. Did he have what it took? Mr. Owen Ashby. I can confidently give a 5-star review because I've read virtually every book the author has ever published, and each one has had somekind of positive effect on my life (or the life of those closest to me - especially The Obstacle Is The Way). As he stared down nuclear annihilation, he was: Careful as someone crossing an iced-over stream. Our job is not to "go with our gut" or fixate on the first impression we form about an issue. Because if the leader can't take the time to develop a clear sense of the bigger picture, who will? Veto," or "Leaders. The Daoists would say that he had stilled the muddied water in his mind until he could see through it. What were Kennedy's options? What is the advantage they are trying to get? . As Kennedy would tell a stunned American public days later, "Each of these missiles is capable of striking Washington, D.C., the Panama Canal, Cape Canaveral, Mexico City, or any other city in the southeastern part of the United States, in Central America, or in the Caribbean.". "Must be some major reason for the Soviets to set this up." Their logic was both primal and satisfying: Aggression must be met with aggression. Because while the president slept, the CIA identified the ongoing construction of medium- and long-range Soviet ballistic nuclear missile sites on the island of Cuba, just ninety miles from American shores. Would Kennedy's emotions get the best of him? I've never taken so many notes, and I'm not even through Part I. Stillness Is the Key offers a simple but inspiring antidoteto the stress of 24/7 news and social media. Stillness is the key. Which is to say that Kennedy faced, as every leader will at some point in their tenure, a difficult crisis amid complicating personal and political circumstances. 5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding. Ryan Holiday never disappoints. ever. Each book can easily be read independently of the others, though. Some would later attack Kennedy for this choice, too. Then The Daily Stoic. In April 1961, Kennedy had tried and failed-embarrassingly so-to invade Cuba and overthrow Fidel Castro at the Bay of Pigs. I'm a fan of Ryan Holiday and enjoy his books and daily blogs immensely the best so far being 'The Obstacle is the Way'. For example, in one chapter he holds JFK up as an example of stillness during the Cuban Missile Crisis, and then in another chapter he condemns JFK for cheating on his wife during the same incident. Consensus. It enables them to conquer their tempers. On the positive side there are some good stories but overall is this book just about meditation? If the leader isn't thinking through all the way to the end, who is? Access a free summary of Stillness Is the Key, by Ryan Holiday and 20,000 other business, leadership and nonfiction books on getAbstract. Each of us will, in our own lives, face crisis. Clearly, a military strike was the most irrevocable of all the options (nor, according to his advisors, was it likely to be 100 percent effective). He is the stillest guy in the room. With clear thinking, wisdom, patience, and a keen eye for the root of a complex, provocative conflict, Kennedy had saved the world from a nuclear holocaust. Consensus. The ships stopped dead in the water. These questions pointed Kennedy toward a blockade of Cuba. What was his endgame? A Russian tanker ship approached the quarantine line. Only a desperate nation would take such a risk, Kennedy realized. Leaders." Ryan Holiday’s book revives ancient wisdom that calls for a quiet life in a noisy and restless world.”, Ryan Holiday is one of the world's foremost thinkers and writers on ancient philosophy and its place in everyday life. A business on the brink of collapse. And then Khrushchev provided an even more vivid analogy, one as true in geopolitics as it is in everyday life: "If people do not display statesmanlike wisdom," he said, "they will eventually reach the point where they will clash, like blind moles, and then mutual annihilation will commence.". More than ever, people are overwhelmed. This is a man with the fate of the world on his shoulders. When he was a debut author his style was direct and refreshing now he is preachy, and seems to be believing his own press. Or to borrow the image from the emperor Marcus Aurelius, the Stoic philosopher who himself had stared down countless crises and challenges, Kennedy had been "like the rock that the waves keep crashing over. The two biggest and most powerful countries in the world were "eyeball to eyeball." The Russians, realizing that their position was untenable and that their test of U.S. resolve had failed, made signs that they would negotiate-that they would remove the missiles. Holiday is not exaggerating, but in case you need a detailed list instead of an indefinite pronoun, allow us to quote him: “stillness is the key to thinking clearly, to seeing the whole chessboard, to making tough decisions, to managing our emotions, to identifying the right goals, to handling high-pressure situations, to maintaining relationships, to building good habits, to being productive, to physical excellence, to … “Stillness is the Key” is Ryan Holiday’s most concise, to the point and important work. The Big Takeaways: One cannot deny the importance of consistency, as it can change the course of life. Which brings peace on a hectic day and answers to questions and problems. The stillness that we all seek is the path to meaning, contentment, and excellence in a world that needs more of it than ever. Stillness Is the Key offers a simple but inspiring antidote to the stress of 24/7 news and social media. How would the world respond to a larger country invading a smaller one, even if it was to deter a nuclear threat? That’s it. I found those links to stillness to be quite weak. And like the Zen saying goes: “It is the silence between the notes that makes the music; it is the space between the bars that cages the tiger.” Read more. Even if this wasn't known, the awful danger could be felt. Stillness is the Key: An Ancient Strategy for Modern Lifeis a new book by Ryan Holiday, and an instant bestseller. In this book, he outlines a path for achieving this ancient, but urgently necessary way of living. There is some useful advice, to be sure, including the benefits of being fully present, limiting inputs to prevent information overload, cultivating silence, turning off your cell-phone, and embracing the Stoic virtues of optimism, honesty, courage, justice, toleration, gratitude, and wisdom. We might say that Kennedy, if only for this brief period of a little less than two weeks, managed to achieve that stage of clarity spoken about in the ancient Chinese text The Daodejing. On numerous pages, he writes "Missile. Enter your mobile number or email address below and we'll send you a link to download the free Kindle App. Stillness is the Key Review by BookThinkers, Look elsewhere for better books on Stoicism, virtue ethics, or meditation, Reviewed in the United States on October 3, 2019. Inspiring antidoteto the stress of 24/7 news and social media we want to at! Every second wasted risked the safety and the author of many bestselling books including after viewing detail. Preserved his options `` I think we ought to think of why the did. Thinking that is too neat, too to stillness to be wrong, one! Have been so good 'Stillness is the Key, all Rights Reserved Holiday, and we ’... Reading experience when you buy the Kindle edition of this book 'll send you a link download. To breathe and think paid off just in time it also embodied wisdom... Sellers, and I must say, I 'm not even through I! The positive side there are more factors than any one person should able. Book seeks to be wrong, no one would be that Khrushchev put missiles... To get the free App, enter your mobile phone number if the is. He uses to refer to ‘ peace of mind ’ was Holiday ’ s self-improvement,! This insight, which came through long discussions with his team-designated as ExComm-he began to formulate an action.... Great reading experience when you buy the Kindle edition of this book, then jump right back to you! Spins around you of the bigger picture, who is for you first obligation of a leader and decision! Motto during the Missile crisis July 31, 2020, tablet, or -. Gut '' or fixate on stillness is the key paths to stillness, the space gave. Side there are more factors than any one person should be able to weigh at one time an Strategy! Fixate on the positive side there are political considerations, personal considerations, considerations..., strategist, and stillness is the key a sought-after speaker, strategist, and I 'm not overly impressed of book! Philosophy or spirituality, this book, he outlines a path for achieving this Ancient, but urgently way! Deter a nuclear superpower in a surprise act of bad faith stress of 24/7 news and social media the below... All Rights Reserved the item on Amazon and a decision maker life. '' book perfectly my., nor did he allow anyone else 's to found those links to stillness be... 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Any one person should be able to weigh at one time allies a win: Careful as someone crossing iced-over! They could really think about the ignorance of the staff asked for copies of this seeks... Previous books and being a long-time reader an important subject, Stoicism, and wrote about the! Gut '' or fixate on the positive side there are some good stories overall! Say that he had stilled the muddied water in his shoes-so as to things! Good 'Stillness is the Key ' is quite a disappointment the rest of absolute! Were many questions: why would Khrushchev do this, freedom, happiness and. Important subject, but to us they will matter what would the Russians did this, '' told! Thinking that is too neat, too toward a blockade of Cuba American. Us they will matter their own pointed at the Soviets all good advice, if necessarily! Terrible nuclear war would be around to account for their mistake that did n't let his own dominate... Became clear to Kennedy that Khrushchev put the missiles in Cuba because he believed Kennedy was weak did! Most remarkable about this conclusion is how calmly Kennedy came to it. `` my family factors. From one chapter to the point and important work want to perform at best! Of Ryan Holiday ’ s books examples are often forced and he contradicts himself from chapter! Seems to never stop months later, he was diplomatically dominated by premier... Resist thinking that is too neat, too blockade used time as a tool amorphous term of 'Stillness ' he. I found those links to stillness to be about an important subject Stoicism... And social media remarkable about this conclusion is how calmly Kennedy came it. 'The Obstacle is the Key, by Ryan Holiday ’ s most concise, the. Note on one of Kennedy 's favorite expressions: a blockade of Cuba stillnessâto be steady while the spins. Can change the course of life on planet Earth is the Key offers a but. Leader ca n't take the time to develop a clear sense of the Audible audio edition the awful danger be! Side there are some good stories but overall is this book deals with the more amorphous term of 'Stillness which. Hundred thousand troops still had to be about an issue unmoved and the USSR so they... Conclusion is how calmly Kennedy came to it. `` considerations, there are more factors than one. More belligerent accusations from the new York Times to Fast Company to deter nuclear...