Books like The Courage to Be Disliked
If you liked The Courage to Be Disliked by Ichiro Kishimi & Fumitake Koga, here are 8 non-fiction books to read next — hand-matched on shared themes and authors, not an algorithm. Each links to where to get it.
#1Ego Is the Enemy
by Ryan Holiday
The companion to Obstacle. Most failures aren't incompetence — they're ego refusing to do the boring foundational work.
Shared theme: Stoicism + Stoic philosophy
🎧 Listen free with a 30-day Audible trial·or buy Ego Is the Enemy on AmazonAffiliate links — as an Amazon Associate, Read Stacks earns from qualifying purchases and Audible trials at no extra cost to you.
#2Man’s Search for Meaning
by Viktor E. Frankl
Stoic without being labeled. Frankl's logotherapy arrived at Aurelius's insight independently — reading both makes both clearer.
Shared theme: Stoicism + Stoic philosophy
🎧 Listen free with a 30-day Audible trial·or buy Man’s Search for Meaning on AmazonAffiliate links — as an Amazon Associate, Read Stacks earns from qualifying purchases and Audible trials at no extra cost to you.
#3Meditations
by Marcus Aurelius
The foundation. Marcus Aurelius wrote it for himself; the recurring theme is control what you can, accept what you can't, do right now.
Shared theme: Stoicism + Stoic philosophy
🎧 Listen free with a 30-day Audible trial·or buy Meditations on AmazonAffiliate links — as an Amazon Associate, Read Stacks earns from qualifying purchases and Audible trials at no extra cost to you.
#4The Obstacle Is the Way
by Ryan Holiday
Holiday's modern translation. Three disciplines (perception, action, will) operationalize Aurelius for non-academic readers.
Shared theme: Stoicism + Stoic philosophy
🎧 Listen free with a 30-day Audible trial·or buy The Obstacle Is the Way on AmazonAffiliate links — as an Amazon Associate, Read Stacks earns from qualifying purchases and Audible trials at no extra cost to you.- A Guide to the Good LifeWilliam Irvine#5
A Guide to the Good Life
by William Irvine
Another Stoic philosophy pick — same territory as The Courage to Be Disliked.
🎧 Listen free with a 30-day Audible trial·or buy A Guide to the Good Life on AmazonAffiliate links — as an Amazon Associate, Read Stacks earns from qualifying purchases and Audible trials at no extra cost to you. - How to Think Like a Roman EmperorDonald Robertson#6
How to Think Like a Roman Emperor
by Donald Robertson
Another Stoic philosophy pick — same territory as The Courage to Be Disliked.
🎧 Listen free with a 30-day Audible trial·or buy How to Think Like a Roman Emperor on AmazonAffiliate links — as an Amazon Associate, Read Stacks earns from qualifying purchases and Audible trials at no extra cost to you. - Letters from a StoicSeneca#7
Letters from a Stoic
by Seneca
Another Stoic philosophy pick — same territory as The Courage to Be Disliked.
🎧 Listen free with a 30-day Audible trial·or buy Letters from a Stoic on AmazonAffiliate links — as an Amazon Associate, Read Stacks earns from qualifying purchases and Audible trials at no extra cost to you. - The Daily StoicRyan Holiday#8
The Daily Stoic
by Ryan Holiday
Another Stoic philosophy pick — same territory as The Courage to Be Disliked.
🎧 Listen free with a 30-day Audible trial·or buy The Daily Stoic on AmazonAffiliate links — as an Amazon Associate, Read Stacks earns from qualifying purchases and Audible trials at no extra cost to you.
Appears in these topics
The Courage to Be Disliked is part of this curated reading list — each a “best books on X” cluster with a synthesis on how the books fit together.