Book Review: Stoicism 101 by Erick Cloward

Although Stoicism has been a part of my study and practice for many years, I still often return to introductory books. Their breadth and organization helps as a reminder and ‘big picture’ of the philosophy. And, I also like to keep in mind these options when making recommendations or introductions of Stoicism to newcomers.

So when, in the book store (yes, an actual location with walls and people), I came across a little 2025 book called, Stoicism 101, I perused it and then quickly purchased it (full title, Stoicism 101: A Crash Course in Virtue, Reason, and Resilience). After a more thorough reading, my initial assessment was confirmed. I think it is one of the best introductory pieces on Stoicism to come out in a long time.

Before this book, I would have said my go-to for an introduction to Stoicism would be John Sellers’ book, Stoicism. That is still a masterful and very thorough work and I would still recommend that book for a student of philosophy or a well read intellectual with an already very serious interest to go deep.

But, for most people who are simply wondering what Stoicism is all about, Stoicism 101 provides and excellent overview. Although it is a small book, its 271 pages are very well organized and cover all of the aspects I would want to see addressed. But, while staying informative, it keeps relentlessly to the point. It leaves the reader wanting more – but now with a roadmap one where to go deeper and with reasons why. It has accomplished what an introduction should, as clearly and concisely as possible.

Were it to be any simpler, it would have become a mere collection of inspirational or poetic quotes rather than the mini-textbook it is. This, in fact, is what all of the introductory books I had previously recommended on a simpler scale than Sellers’ book were (such as, for example, The Spiritual Teachings of Marcus Aurelius, by Mark Forstater). These kinds of books are still worthy prescriptions for the right condition, but now – with Stoicism 101 – I feel I have an intermediate point between Sellers’ Stoicism and those kinds of books.

Structure

A glance at the table of content shows 60 headings of equal weight. They are very well organized and presented the concepts and Stoicism in the order I would recommend. Though, if I had one quibble on this book, I would have preferred these sections be grouped in a more hierarchical manner, perhaps into parts. For example, the first six headings are all about the history and leading philosophers of ancient Stoicism. That could have been a group. There are six sections that are all about Stoic character and virtue, for example.

Fortunately, within the pages of the book itself, such organization is very visually maintained. It is very approachable and easy, with many bite-sized chunks to digest at once, side-bared with both original quotes and modern examples. I can imagine how difficult it must have been to cover each concept with such concision without going into more detail than needed for the book’s aim, but it was handled well. And the book wraps with a good index, which I always like to see.

High Points

The best aspect of this book is its laser-like targeting of the most important points, and specific, practical prescriptions for putting them into practice. While acknowledging them, the book doesn’t get bogged down in matters such as how we should or shouldn’t interpret the Logos, the debate about the roll of God/providence in modern Stoicism, etc. It simply keeps on its mission to inform in a way that can be immediately beneficial to the reader, leaving those messier matters up to another forum – and that is best in my view.

Another high point is the books’ references to modern examples of Stoic practices and ideals in its latter half. You’ll see references from Thomas Jefferson to Warren Buffet; also German Prime Minister Angela Merkel, Apple and Microsoft CEOs Tim Cook and Satya Nadella, Keanu Reeves, Tom Brady, Winston Churchill, Malala Yousafzai, Bishop Desmond Tutu, JFK, and more. Not that any of these people are sages or even acknowledged Stoics, but simply in reference to one example of a particular principle or idea.

Another thing I appreciated about the book was its inclusion of sections like, “The Limitations of Stoicism” which acknowledged criticisms and pointed out the possible pitfalls of the philosophy, if we aren’t careful. As well, I appreciated the section defending Stoicism from common misconceptions and misrepresentations (such as thinking Stoicism is about being emotionless).

And one of my favorite aspects of the book was its attention to compassion, both highlighting and defending the role of compassion, which is often as overlooked by its practitioners as denied by its detractors.

Conclusion

The book was written by Erick Cloward, host of the Stoic Coffee Break podcast. Erick is an executive coach who started his podcast after a book recommendation led him to Stoicism. He has done a remarkable job of paying this forward and I commend him. The book seems to be part of a ‘101’ series by Simon & Schuster on many topics.

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