A Stoic-inflected argument, told through historical case studies, that ego sabotages ambition, success, and resilience.
Books mentioned in Ego Is the Enemy (15)
The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger: “In J. D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye, Holden can't stay in school, is petrified of growing up...”
Ask the Dust by John Fante: “In John Fante's Ask the Dust (part of a series known as The Bandini Quartet), this young writer doesn't experience the life he is living...”
The Moviegoer by Walker Percy: “In Walker Percy's The Moviegoer, his protagonist, Binx, is addicted to watching movies...”
I, Governor of California and How I Ended Poverty by Upton Sinclair: “he published a short book titled I, Governor of California and How I Ended Poverty, in which he outlined, in the past tense, the brilliant policies he had enacted as governor...”
A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole: “John Kennedy Toole's great book A Confederacy of Dunces was universally turned down by publishers...”
A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway: “The understanding he took from them is expressed timelessly in his book A Farewell to Arms. He wrote, 'The world breaks every one...'”
Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk: “In the novel Fight Club, the character Jack's apartment is blown up... Later it turns out that Jack blew it up himself.”
Old School by Tobias Wolff: “As the author Tobias Wolff writes in his novel Old School, these explanations and stories get 'cobbled together later...'”
What Makes Sammy Run? by Budd Schulberg: “the consequences are closer to the ending of one of my favorite books, What Makes Sammy Run? by Budd Schulberg, a novel whose famous character is based on the real lives of entertainment entrepreneurs...”
Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer: “The tragic end to the Into the Wild story is the result of youthful naiveté and a lack of preparation.”
Working On My Novel by Cordelia Jensen and Simon Fill: “Someone recently published a book called Working On My Novel, filled with social media posts from writers who are clearly not working on their novels.”
Winston Spencer Churchill: Alone, 1932-1940 by William Manchester: “In William Manchester's epic biography of the life of Winston Churchill, the middle volume—a third of the set—is titled Alone.”
The Theory of Moral Sentiments by Adam Smith: “"The economist (and philosopher) Adam Smith had a theory for how wise and good people evaluate their actions" — followed by a long block quote from the work.”
The Winner Within: A Life Plan for Team Players by Pat Riley: “The Innocent Climb, Pat Riley says, is almost always followed by the 'Disease of Me.' It can 'strike any winning team in any year and at any moment.'”
The War of Art by Steven Pressfield: “It's sapped us of the energy desperately needed to conquer what Steven Pressfield calls the 'Resistance'—the hurdle that stands between us and creative expression.”