
Member Reviews

<b>Final Review</b>
<i>A lot of what happens to us is sheer luck </i>(0:49:55)
<b>Review summary and recommendations:</b>
I enjoyed this one more than I thought I would, to be honest. I'm really interested in philosophy, especially stoicism, but I can be dry reading. This book was not at all dry, but passionate and bursting with the energy of someone who wants to share a wonderful secret.
Ruitert included many discussion points about his own career as a professional athletes and his life with his family. These memoir moments helped me connect to the philosophical concepts under discussion.
This is a book that for me introduced me to a number of new ideas, and a few hints I will take from myself. Ruitert isn't suggesting a lifestyle overhaul, but rather a system of thought, from which the reader can take what works for them.
I recommend this one for readers who enjoy philosophy, self-help books, and memoirs.
<b>Reading Notes</b>
<b><i>Three (or more) things I loved: </i></b>
1. You can only find peace after realizing that this fight against your fate is actually a fight against yourself. (1:20:49) I don't agree with all the tenets of this system, but some of it, like this bit, really resonates.
2. I like the exercises at the ends of the Lessons. They are thought experiments, basically, and can reveal a lot about or thought habits. I plan to read this on again, more slowly, and work through the exercises.
3. I deeply appreciate the author's treatment of suicide in Lesson 6. He explored its relationship to other mental illness, and refrained from stigmatizing any of it, while also expressing the grief and other emotion that survivors experience.
4. In the way he writes about his kids, I feel as though he is a good father.
Three (or less) things I didn't love:
This section isn't only for criticisms. It's merely for items that I felt something for other than "love" or some interpretation thereof.
1. I honestly think this audiobook would be better if it were narrated by someone else. I find this read a bit flat.
2. Some people, especially people with certain disabilities, may find some of the tenets of this philosophy to be inaccessible.
<b>Rating:</b> đź’đź’đź’đź’ /5 deep thoughts
<b[Recommend?</b> Yes
<b>Finished:</b> Dec 9 '24
<b>Format:</b> digital, NetGalley; audiobook, Libby
<b>Read this book if you like:</b>
👤 philosophy
đź©· self help
đź—Ł memoir
🧠thought discipline
Quotations from the 10 Lessons:
Lesson 1 - If you want to raise the bar, want to learn things, you need to take risks. There is no other way. (0::22:40)
Lesson 2 - [...It] is your choice to be distracted by others. Lose your concentration, and you will lose your enjoyment. Your result. (0:34:17)
Lesson 3 - Those who let their actions be determined by circumstances they couldn't control, allowed themselves to be enslaved by those circumstances. (0:46:47)
Lesson 4 - Self preservation strategy leads to social behiavior. Doing good by others is a survival strategy for social creatures. (0:59:07)
Lesson 5 - [...Give] yourself over to everything outside of your power, and [understand]: that fortune can also bring new opportunities. (1:17:59)
Lesson 6 - [...Have] I lived as I wanted to? (1:28:17)
Lesson 7 - Happiness is, in itself, a bad foal to aim for. That's because we dont find happiness at the finish line, but along the way. (1:46:25)
Lesson 8 - [...Everything] I take on falls within my triangle. (2:06:54) In other words, stick to your wheelhouse.
Lesson 9 - This high ideal will remain unattainable for virtually everyone. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't strive for it. (2:16:17)
Lesson 10 - Those who fail, learn. (2:30:08)
Thank you to the author Mark Ruitert, publishers St. Martin's Essentials, and NetGalley for an advance digital copy of The Stoic Mindset. I found an accessible copy (audiobook) on Libby. Read by the author. All views are mine.
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<b>Pre-Read Notes:</b>
I'm always interested to see how people apply philosophical concepts in their lives. That's why I found this book compelling and requested it from NetGalley. Unfortunately, I didn't receive an accessible copy (NetGalley, please provide accessible copies to your readers!) so I waited until the audiobook hit Libby.

This is a decent book that introduces a beginner to the principles of Stoicism. Along with that, there is a personal narrative that is blended in to give a feel of connectivity. Lots of good life advice for managing individual expectations and happiness.

Uh, I do not even know what to say with this. I mean it is not my style book but I love to try new books. This, this was not it.

Mark Tuitert's 'The Stoic Mindset: Living the Ten Principles of Stoicism' is a concise yet insightful exploration of Stoic principles. The book is an overview, providing enough detail to grasp concepts without overwhelming newcomers—Tuitert's experiences as an Olympic speed skater offer real-world context to Stoic teachings. The book introduces the four Stoic virtues—wisdom, courage, justice, and temperance—and includes exercises after each of the ten principles aimed at internalization. Tuitert's narration adds authenticity and depth to the experience, creating a stronger connection between the author and the audience. While its brevity may leave some readers wanting more depth and exploration, 'The Stoic Mindset' serves as a solid introduction to Stoicism, particularly appealing to those with an interest in sports.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an honest review.

Thoughtful and reflective read. Challenging, supportive, and engaging. As worthwhile and potent as anticipated.

This book was a short and sweet introduction to the Stoicism mindset and how Tuitert applied it in his own life.
I like the explanation of the principles but felt this was more of a memoir of his life and Stoicism rather than a true introduction to Stoicism.

I didn't mind The Stoic Mindset but I struggled with what felt like the lack of actually speaking just about stoicism. I felt like this was 70% autobiography of the author and maybe 30% stoicism. I wanted a deeper dive, but otherwise it's well written and flows at an okay pace.

This book was easy to read which is outstanding since it deals a lot with ancient philosophers and their theories. Marl Tuitert breaks it all down so it is easy to understand. He also uses his life as an example so people can see how it works. There are fun colored inset a=this include diagrams and vignettes about "the stoic" insert pronoun here.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for this early copy to read.
I have been practicing stoisim for 5+ years now. I read The Daily Stoic, daily!
I loved this Stoic Mindset which provides the principles and basics for stoicism. I would say this would be more for beginners, or those not familiar with Stoicism.
thank you!

The author provides a very introductory overview of some basic Stoic concepts in a reflection on his career as an Olympic speed skater. While the concepts themselves are accurate, the introduction of them are incredibly shallow and not necessarily outlined in such a way where the reader might feel comfortable trying to adopt the techniques themselves. The book is extremely short, allowing it to be a fast read, however it feels that the author had plenty of opportunity to increase the length of the book just slightly in search for pragmatism. Overall, it's a good introduction to Stoicism, however if you're already familiar with some of the basic concepts this book won't be that interesting to you.

This short self-help book serves as a nice intro to understanding stoicism and how to incorporate its principles into your own life philosophy. I really enjoyed the author’s take in it as it applied to his earlier speedskaking life and his later career as an entrepreneur. Lots of great life advice for managing your expectations and happiness.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Essentials for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

This was an interesting read. I've read many about stoic mindsets but never from the viewpoint of an Olympian. I enjoyed reading about his experiences and study of stoicism. It was a quick read with some deep thoughts. I do see the exercises helping me in the future.

This was a great stoic primer. Although short, it is full of powerful thoughts on the application of stoic ideas for daily life. The exercises presented help the reader further apply the principles to help create their own framework to live by.

if stoicism is completely new to you, you will enjoy this book. It's such an easy and quick read, and it will change your everyday life!

3.5 rounded to 3
I was curious as the stoics like Marc Aurelius or Seneca were part of my school curricula. It's a very personal reworking of very ancient ideas and I was a bit perplexed when I read the decalog as I think that any idea must the based on our personal experience.
If you like self-help book this could be a new approach.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This was a very helpful book. There are a lot of things one could learn that you can implement in your everyday life. I would recommend this for those that want to truly make a change in their life.

The Stoic Mindset by Mark Tuitert is a clever ten-step guide to reaching your peak potential through the wisdom of Stoic philosophy by entrepreneur and Olympic champion speed skater Mark Tuitert.
An insightful read on how to live the Ten Principles of Stoicism.
I found this to be very motivational, honest and encouraging.
A thought-provoking book.
Thank You NetGalley and St. Martin's Essentials for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

I found this one more personal in regards to the writing and example use in contrast focusing on stoic use. It was more limited to one aspect of his life and not generalized if I'm honest.

THE STOIC MINDSET by Mark Tuitert is a grounded introduction to Stoicism and a motivating, intelligent guide to putting ancient wisdom to work in our overwrought current world. I have long been interested in the Stoic philosophy and discovered several of its principles the hard way. With this clear, well-written, and wonderfully illustrated guide, we have accessible, straightforward principles by which to live our most successful, productive lives -- and yes, likely much happier ones although happiness is not the goal. This book might be the very thing a graduate or struggling loved one might appreciate as they embark upon new ventures. I received a copy of this book and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.

A ten-step guide to reaching your peak potential through the wisdom of Stoic philosophy by entrepreneur and Olympic champion speed skater Mark Tuitert.
Thank you St. Martin’s Press & Netgalley for sending me a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! I didn’t find it helpful to read this book but I thought it was very interesting. I didn’t know anything about Stoicism but I learned a lot. I didn’t do the exercises that are included in this book but I still thought this book was very informative. I probably would have got more out of this book if I had taken the time to do the exercises but I don’t think it’s necessary to do the exercises.