Worth reading

I honestly feel sad for anybody who passed up on this audio book, based on the previous negative review. This guy accomplished more in his life than most people ever will. He's qualified to talk about ego. This recording changed my life. Read.

50 people found this helpful

The only book I returned

A book on ego. It opens where the author self deprecates himself, then self aggrandizes himself, and it’s entitled “ego is the enemy”. That’s a red flag. I was looking for a book for a friend that could introduce one to ego-Mind. Whereas something like E.Tolle may be a bit heavy for the beginner. I heard this came recommended. So I purchased to screen it. I’m glad I did, as the author has no purchase on ego-Mind what-so-ever. It over burdened with pointless and abundant rhetoric. It does not lead the reader to truly understand Ego-Mind, but rather misleads the understanding altogether. It attempts to lead the reader away from pointless selfish drive with no clear direction as to the truth about self! Insanity cannot cure insanity and ego mind is monkey mind. When Buddha states “All Desire is suffering” he did not mean just some kinds of it. I think the only people who would enjoy this book are people who are trying to figure out what they think they want for themselves and their lives. In search of fulfillment. But in this book, it is like the proverb of the Beggar’s Bowl. It’s bottomless and serves only to misguide, mislead and confuse. Lastly, the author is clearly not a narrator and made a critical error in not hiring a professional to save on profit. It’s torment trying to listen to his narration as is mentioned by countless other reviews. Save your time and your money. I have hundreds of books in my library, even some bad ones. But this is the first that was so bad I requested a refund.

10 people found this helpful

Good content, tedious performance

What did you love best about Ego Is the Enemy?

The book has a great message that everyone ought to hear, especially since we live in a world with social media and the power to craft your self-image and story. It's helped me out a lot in the way I view myself, and I've already noticed things about my behavior I could change to keep my ego under control.

What insight do you think you’ll apply from Ego Is the Enemy?

Unfortunately the performance is incredibly dull and unprofessional. He mumbles, he speaks too quickly, he's monotone, and overall he sounds like a robot reciting words on a page rather than trying to tell a story. This is a prime example of how to not narrate an audiobook. Halfway through I was dying to just get to the end because I didn't want to listen to his boring voice anymore. The sad thing is that in the closing interview portion with Tim Ferris, you can hear Ryan Holiday speak with a natural conversational tone and a sense of fervor that isn't present in his audiobook performance. Ryan Holiday, if you're reading this, the next time you narrate an audiobook, try reading it as though you're speaking to a friend.

Any additional comments?

I think I'll pick up a copy of the book because I did enjoy the content, and it's enough to save this audiobook.

116 people found this helpful

Juvenile

This book was a big disappointment. Not sure where to start. So little value and actual content .

9 people found this helpful

great book

it took time to get used to the voice. I would have preferred another narrator.

34 people found this helpful

Ego is the enemy

Download this audible book and you will receive not only a mediocre book, but a once in a lifetime opportunity to listen to an author participate in several hours of back pats, atta boys, and thinly-veiled masturbation.

4 people found this helpful

belief in the indestructible self is destructive

this book provides an amazing array of anecdotes and advice for pushing ego aside in favor of a dispassionate view of reality. our society parts us on the back so much that we all believe we are the best, and we kill ourselves getting to prove it. instead, take a step back and realize how much you still need to grow, and take the time to do the growing.

34 people found this helpful

Disappointing. Thin, weak reading.

I bought this book a rather strong recommendation by Tim Ferris. Tim went down in my estimation with this glorified essay. The content is thin, the point is obvious.

There seems to be a trend at the moment in taking classic knowledge (Ancient Roman / Greek) and rehashing if for anxious West Coast / Bay Area types. This book makes you feel a little bit embarrassed for the author.

Ego is the Enemy...could have been a one pager on a blog.

This is a case of networked buddies ( Tim F etc) all doing each other a favor ...

Ryan certainly has an audience. The sheer number of positive reviews on here swayed me.

I'll be more careful in future.

Word of warning on narration.

Ryan did a selfie on narration.

It's terribly self conscious and adds to the hollowness of the content.

His pronouncing of the word 'naivety' made me wince...

Hope you enjoy. I had to stop half way through...

204 people found this helpful

Only made it 2 hours

I only made it two hours into this book before I had to turn it off. I did not like it. It seems to bounce from quote to quote with filler in between like a college freshman trying to hit a minimum page requirement. It would have been better off as an essay or blog post.

I bought this book base on the positive reviews, and clearly there is an audience out there for it, but it's not for me.

29 people found this helpful

Full of historical anecdotes

This book is not my usual fare, but when I heard about it on The Joe Rogan Experience, I decided to give it a shot. 6 hours of listening for $10, what was there to lose? It was absolutely worth it. I think most of us know several people in our lives who would benifit from reading Ego is the Enemy, but the person who needs it most may just be you!

37 people found this helpful