The Obstacle Is the Way Audiobook By Ryan Holiday cover art

The Obstacle Is the Way

The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph

Preview
LIMITED TIME OFFER

3 months free
Try for $0.00
Offer ends July 31, 2025 at 11:59PM PT.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 3 months. Cancel anytime.

The Obstacle Is the Way

By: Ryan Holiday
Narrated by: Ryan Holiday
Try for $0.00

$0.00/mo. after 3 months. Offer ends July 31, 2025 at 11:59PM PT. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $18.00

Buy for $18.00

Confirm purchase
Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use, License, and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.
Cancel

About this listen

#1 Wall Street Journal Bestseller

The Obstacle is the Way has become a cult classic, beloved by men and women around the world who apply its wisdom to become more successful at whatever they do.

Its many fans include a former governor and movie star (Arnold Schwarzenegger), a hip hop icon (LL Cool J), an Irish tennis pro (James McGee), an NBC sportscaster (Michele Tafoya), and the coaches and players of winning teams like the New England Patriots, Seattle Seahawks, Chicago Cubs, and University of Texas men’s basketball team.

The book draws its inspiration from stoicism, the ancient Greek philosophy of enduring pain or adversity with perseverance and resilience. Stoics focus on the things they can control, let go of everything else, and turn every new obstacle into an opportunity to get better, stronger, tougher. As Marcus Aurelius put it nearly 2000 years ago: “The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.”

Ryan Holiday shows us how some of the most successful people in history—from John D. Rockefeller to Amelia Earhart to Ulysses S. Grant to Steve Jobs—have applied stoicism to overcome difficult or even impossible situations. Their embrace of these principles ultimately mattered more than their natural intelligence, talents, or luck.

If you’re feeling frustrated, demoralized, or stuck in a rut, this book can help you turn your problems into your biggest advantages. And along the way it will inspire you with dozens of true stories of the greats from every age and era.

©2023 Ryan Holiday (P)2023 Penguin Audio
Career Success Motivation & Self-Improvement Personal Development Personal Success Philosophy Stoicism Sports Inspiring Career Thought-Provoking Ancient Greece Resilience
adbl_web_global_use_to_activate_webcro805_stickypopup

Critic reviews

“The book on stoicism that’s taking the NFL by storm.”Sports Illustrated

"The best one I've read. Ryan Holiday is brilliant. If I had read The Obstacle Is the Way sooner, a few things might have been different."–Rory McIlroy, 2x PGA Champion

“Follow these precepts and you will revolutionize your life. Read this book!”—Steven Pressfield, author of The War of Art and Gates of Fire

Featured Article: The 20 Best Success Audiobooks for Reaching Your Potential


Even the most successful among us needs a good dose of inspiration now and again, and for those still looking toward the horizon of achievement, that little boost is all the more necessary. We compiled selections from podcast hosts, famous investors, and renowned professors alike that give the best analysis on what makes success possible. To help you navigate the murky waters that lie between you and your goals, here is our list of the 20 best success audiobooks.

Practical Wisdom • Inspiring Stories • Calm Voice • Transformative Insights • Concise Explanations • Historical Examples
Highly rated for:
All stars
Most relevant  
I wish I read this sooner in life
Highly recommended to all who seek

Excellent

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Such an amazing book. I love how he explains how to love the failure process and just the example to uses which real life really resonates with me, highly recommend.

Highly recommend

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Practical, insightful, historical - I love Ryan's work and also love that he reads his audio books himself. Highly recommend to anyone who has or will encounter obstacles.

Loved all of it

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

I found inspiration for business and my personal life, it was a great start to my day.

Loved this book

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Nothing crazy that maybe hasn’t been said anecdotally before. But for those who are looking for some more self-awareness this is a good one.

Solid

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

A Must-Add to your personal “Rotation of Motivation”!

—Simple & Direct Approach.
—Powerful Application Potential.
—New Value Gained each time read.

Highly Recommend for those passionate about expanding their toolbox of Perspectives.

Ryan takes an eloquent approach to simplifying some of the greatest philosophical teachings of the ages.

There are certain Books/Teachings that deem themselves worthy of making my “Rotation of Motivation”. These are books I revisit frequently, which carry an unlimited amount of learning potential that cannot be captured in one read.
This is One of Them!

A few Examples Include:
-The Book of 5 Rings (Miyamoto Musashi)
-Relentless: From Good to Great to Unstoppable (Tim S. Grover)

Powerful Perspective

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Very grateful I gave this a chance. Excellent job Ryan! Onto Marcus Aurelius next. YNWA

Incredible

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

loved the way the book is laid out. love the way it makes sense to the simple minded

the comparisons

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

I enjoyed listening to this book. Especially enjoyed the part of the end, when the author Bustos, the title of philosopher on the reader.

The bestowal of the title philosopher at the end.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

This is a great read and into into stoicism! You will feel like a better person just for reading it!

Inspires one to be a better person

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

See more reviews