Courage Is Calling

A Book About Bravery

By: Ryan Holiday

Narrated by: Ryan Holiday

Length: 6 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's Summary

Fortune favours the bold. All great leaders of history have known this, and were successful because of the risks they dared to take. But today, so many of us are paralysed by fear. 

Drawing on ancient Stoic wisdom and examples across history and around the world, Ryan Holiday shows why courage is so important, and how to cultivate it in our own lives. Courage is not simply physical bravery but also doing the right thing and standing up for what you believe; it's creativity, generosity and perseverance. And it is the only way to live an extraordinary, fulfilled and effective life. 

Everything in life begins with courage. This book will equip you with the bravery to begin.

©2021 Ryan Holiday (P)2021 Hachette Audio UK

Awesome, worthwhile and interesting

Perfect and concise. It connects little pieces of history within the chapters and a reflection

Ryan Holiday is a real treat!

Courage is calling is a treat to the soul. Loved the narration, the context, references of great men & women in history & how he frames why we should all embody courage as a virtue. I’ll be listening to it again and again - thank you!!!

Great book

Not only are the stories great but every chapter makes you feel more courageous in your own life

Simply amazing, great stoic philosophy

Great stoic principle, courage is vital to achieve greatness at any levels. Heroism (the 3rd part) is even more inspirational. Highly recommended if you’re into personal development (you are if you are reading this).

Thanks for another great book and the transparency (at the last chapter) 🔥🔥👍👍

Love you Ryan, but get a new narrator

Ryan Holiday's books are amazing and this is no exception. Do not be put of by my 3 stars for Performance, I think Ryan should not narrate himself and there surely is better talent out there.
This book gives you so much; info, history, mythology and literature about courage, being brave as one would expect. The shortness of the chapters lend themselves to using the book as a journal, to meditate on.
If you have read Ryan before, you'l encounter his favorite characters again, which only makes you understand them better.
Highly recommended for people who would speak truth to power against real injustices of the world.

The First Virtue

1st out of 4 virtue of the stoic. the virtue that is the fundamental that other virtue stands on. There is no progress without courage, taking risk and being bold

Great Book for Gain Courage

Best book I have read that talks about courage. A glad to hear the name of my country Sri Lanka 🇱🇰 in best selling book.

A timely and necessary book: a new standard work

As a fan of Ryan's work, I was looking forward to this title. Ryan did not disappoint. Courage Is Calling is a fantastic work - a standard work, really, about what courage is, how it should be used, and why it is such an important virtue. Actually, why it's one of stoicism's four virtues.

Ryan uses historical example after historical example to explain, point by point, what courage is, what difference it makes, how it should be used. It is EXTREMELY inspiring - and more than that, there's a lot of wisdom in it too. It's not just a "pep talk." It's much more that. It really is a historical and philosophical explanation and collection of heroism. Profiles In Courage for the 21st century, and based on Stoicism as a philosophy.

This book will guide me for years to come. It is already guiding me now. As a business owner, there are hard decisions I have to make. Decisions I've been putting off. Courage Is Calling gives me the a) courage to make those decisions and b) the right approach to use that courage to make the right decisions.

That's such an important point Ryan makes here; it's not just courage for courage's sake. There's heroism. There's valor. There's thinking you're courageous, but actually you're being stupid.

I don't leave an Audible review very often, but I took the time to do so here, because it's truly freaking brilliant and because I am CONVINCED that it'll help many, many people.

Is there 'nothing' that can be improved? Yes, there is. Ryan's a good narrator, but I felt that in this audiobook, especially compared to some of his other narrating work, he doesn't perform as strongly as he can. It's still good - but not excellent. So that's a point of attention for next time.

Painful to listen to and not very insightful

I bought this book as Ryan Holiday was repeatedly suggested by Audible algorithms.
I found this book was mostly anecdotes on the importance of courage with exanples of figures who went against the thinking of their time or who risked embarassment, loss of status or their life for what they believed was right.

Thats fine but I found little practical guidance here on  how to develop this courage in my own life or why it is that some people become more couragous than most. He doesn't write about the blocks that come from self image formed during a person's development growing up and the impact that self image has on confidence and asseriveness. It might feel good to put myself in the shoes of Serpico as he uncovered crooked fellow police officers and imagine I could do the same but its not that simple.

The  book is broken into mostly short chapters. The chapters should be a clue as to the lessons as they each have titles like " seize the offense". or "You have to own it" but 4 hours in, I felt I had not really learned anything or felt very inspired.

The author narrates the book which was painful to listen to. He leaves odd pauses in his sentences at time and nt enough at other times. He also had a tone that sounded like he was reading an essay or giving a lecture, like he was projecting to be heard at the back of the room.

Finally the writing itself made me feel like I was constantly being berated for not being couragpus enough. I dont think that wa the intention but it seemed like every chapter implied "Look at how great and courageous these people were, if you could just stop being a cowardly idiot you might be successful too"
With 90 minutes to go I gave up. It started to feel like torture.

One of the best books I've read

I absolutely loved this book through and through.
Easy listen, concise short chapters. Brilliant writing with practical lessons and good narration.
10/10 recommend.
Very much looking forward to the next 3 books, especially the next one on self discipline/temperance.

Superb.

A brilliant book with a very important and relevant message.

Excellent narration from Ryan Holiday.

I'm happy with my purchase and I'm looking forward to Ryan's next book in the virtue series.

Verbose

Usually, Ryan Holiday books read well. It appears this new style of writing is excessively complicating lamenting the same point.

loved this book

this book is a nudge for all of us to do the right thing.it is a well written and thoughtfull book about the best people have to offer the world.

Ryan Holiday Gives Me So Much Hope

Another triumphant book, I feel honoured to receive the message. I struggle with courageous resistance all too often, and this writing calls me to get over it and feel privileged it's not life or death; today, we merely fear humiliation.

Ryan gets better and better in each book he writes

I started listening to this book on the 1st of January this year, and it gave me so much fuel for my plans for this year. I absolutely loved all the real people and stories Ryan brings in to describe the real meaning of courage. It brought me a deep sense of accountability. It gave me perspective to how I should face all the challenges life throw at us.
I love all his books, but I have to say that this one has been my favourite one so far.
Thank you Ryan for sharing so much knowledge and kindness with us.

One Of The Best Resource On Courage.

I have spent time reading books on overcoming fear and listening to audios on overcoming fear. This audiobook by Ryan Holiday is one of the best. Ryan has really done his research regarding this subject. He gives very good examples of people who have had to overcome fear in their lives and also offers encouraging words so that we can overcome the fears in our lives. While listening to this audiobook the thought came to me that cowards are not in the history books. Only those who have taken a stand of bravery and courageousness are remembered. Enjoy the audiobook.

A book full of quotes by other people

Throughout the whole book the author just jumps from quote to quote from other people and gives a bit of a ramble and expansion in between. For that reason it never gets going and the reading is very monotonous.

The content is good, the reading is monotonous

Sometimes a little bit repetitive, but other than that there are a lot of golden nuggets in this book.