Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

Chuck Chakrapani’s The Power to Change is a modern-day Stoic’s guidebook—clear-eyed, practical, and quietly profound. Drawing on the wisdom of ancient philosophers like Epictetus, Seneca, and Marcus Aurelius, Chakrapani distills timeless principles into bite-sized, actionable strategies for navigating the chaos of contemporary life. But this isn’t just a philosophical treatise—it’s a toolkit for transformation.

Whether you’re battling anxiety, procrastination, or the inertia of self-doubt, Chakrapani offers a roadmap that’s both intellectually rigorous and emotionally grounded.

This book is about reclaiming agency. Chakrapani emphasizes the Stoic distinction between what we can control (our actions, thoughts, and responses) and what we cannot (external events, others’ opinions, the past). This deceptively simple framework becomes the foundation for a life of clarity and purpose.

Each chapter tackles a common challenge—overthinking, self-sabotage, lack of motivation—and reframes it through Stoic logic. The result is a philosophy of empowerment: not through grand gestures, but through consistent, deliberate practice.

Chakrapani’s prose is lucid and unpretentious. He avoids jargon and abstraction, opting instead for direct, conversational language. The chapters are short and modular, making the book ideal for daily reflection or incremental reading. His tone is encouraging but never saccharine—he respects the reader’s intelligence and emotional complexity.

Quotes from Stoic thinkers are seamlessly integrated, not as decoration but as anchors for each lesson. Chakrapani’s own insights often feel like modern echoes of ancient wisdom, bridging centuries with clarity.

🛠️ Practical Application
This book shines in its usability. Chakrapani doesn’t just explain Stoic principles—he shows you how to live them. Exercises and reflection prompts are woven throughout, designed to help readers build habits, shift mindsets, and cultivate resilience. The emphasis on consistency over intensity is particularly refreshing: change isn’t about heroic effort, but about daily alignment with values.

The Power to Change is a rare blend of philosophical depth and practical utility. It’s ideal for readers seeking not just inspiration, but transformation. Chakrapani proves that Stoicism isn’t a relic—it’s a living, breathing philosophy for anyone ready to take ownership of their life.

For fans of Ryan Holiday’s The Daily Stoic or Donald Robertson’s How to Think Like a Roman Emperor, this book offers a more structured, hands-on approach to Stoic living—with a tone that’s both grounded and empowering.

Thank you John Murray Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

I love reading about Stoicism and am so happy to have found Chuck Chakrapani through his book “The Power to Change”.

Chuck is the founder of The Stoic Gym and through his platform writes the Prokopton Letters. This book is based on these letters and four excellences (virtues) of Practical wisdom, moderation, courage and justice.

This is an uplifting book written in four parts beginning with Stoic Principles. I love these principles and found lots of similarities with Buddhism as I
read them, particularly living in the present moment and what reality really is.

Chuck explains that much of modern psychological theories / practices such as REBT, CBT are based around Stoic principles.

The principles are easy to understand, however most of us “fail” to live these with any lasting consistency, and herein lay our problems.

I loved this book and refer back to it regularly to remind myself of these principles and ensure I live by them as best as I can.
I highly recommend this book.

With THE POWER TO CHANGE, Chuck Chakrapani offers a foundation of principles to put Stoicism into daily practice. I deeply enjoyed learning the principles and how they can be used in everyday life -- a life-transforming perspective. I found the book easy to read, although I found myself going back over some of the stories so I could live them in my own life. A wonderful addition to an important topic. I received a copy of this book and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.

Thank you to John Murray Business for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley

This book is a great introduction for anyone deciding to tip their toes into the wonderful world of stoicism.
There are exercises and examples of how to use the great teachings into the modern world in day to day situations. At times bits can feel a bit repetitive but this doesn’t bother me. If you take each lesson as a suggestion and not a law then this book will easily set you on your way

An insightful book that draws from the wonderful world of stoicism, I felt that this was a great introduction to the school of stoicism, especially someone like me, who is interested, but unsure of which book to pick up first.

I enjoyed this book. The advice was straightforward and made sense. I went to my preferred book-buying site and noted it for purchase when available because I'd like to have a copy for myself.

I really enjoyed reading the book. The principles of the Stoics are transferred to our lives today in an easily understandable way and are simple to implement.

🌟MASTER CLASS

"How is it that uniformed and ignorant minds confuse the informed and trained person?"

Chuck Chakrapani delivers a fire 🔥 introduction to Stoicism, breaking it down in a way that’s super relatable and easy to digest. The core message? You have the power to control your response to the external world. 💡 Instead of overcomplicating things, Chuck presents Stoic wisdom through real-life examples, making it accessible to literally anyone.

One of my favorite takeaways? "We all need to realize that life is a festival and there's no problem we cannot handle." 🎭✨ That mindset shift alone is game-changing!

💡 What makes this book stand out?
✔️ Clear, simple language—no gatekeeping philosophy here!
✔️ Relatable examples that hit home 🎯
✔️ Actionable exercises & key takeaways at the end of each chapter (trust me, they work!)

I took my time with this one—reading, doing the exercises, and then going back to reflect. And let me tell you… it’s WORTH IT. 💯 If you’re ready to declutter your mind and start seeing life through a fresh new lens, this book is for you. 📖✨

🚀 Your move. Time to level up. 🚀

Some books promise transformation, but The Power to Change by Chuck Chakrapani doesn’t just inspire change, it hands you the tools to make it happen. Chakrapani understands that wanting change is easy, knowing how to achieve it is the real challenge. Instead of vague motivational mantras, The Power to Change provides structured, actionable insights, breaking down life’s daily struggles: anxiety, overthinking, self-sabotage, into digestible lessons. Each chapter offers practical exercises, making it feel less like a philosophy book and more like a guidebook for real life.

What makes this book stand out is its emotional depth and clarity. The writing is direct yet engaging, never overwhelming the reader with academic jargon. Instead, it presents Stoic principles with a warmth and simplicity that make them feel immediately applicable. The pacing is equally effective, each chapter is concise and to the point, making it easy to absorb and implement without feeling bogged down.

Beyond its practicality, The Power to Change taps into something deeper: the quiet resilience we all have but often forget to nurture. It doesn’t offer quick fixes, but rather a shift in mindset, one that fosters personal growth, discipline, and, most importantly, a sense of control over one’s own life.

Pros; some of the CBT-reminiscent exercises.

I will not be reviewing this publicly.
I wish this book the best journey, yet, the tone was deaf, the writing not for me, the lessons, too vague, repetitive, derivative and the teachings of Aurelius, Epictetus and Seneca, no matter how much I value them, were thrown everywhere without much deliberation.
To me, it all came off as a bunch of “change your perspective, be strong, if not, you are doing it all wrong” message which is common phenomenon in some help books.
Though, I have read immensely well-written, nuanced, philosophical and practical books on similar topics recently, and I could not find value in this book.
I hope the book meets its audience and the readers can benefit from it as well as enjoying it. We were simply not the right matches.

Loved the messages and concepts in this book. It felt like the author could really connect with everyday life and give advice on how to change our outlook and the power we have over our mindsets and emotions.

Although helpful and concise, this book felt clunky and all over the place. I prefer to read the original works and apply them as I see fit, not be told how they should fit into my life, based on circumstances that may or may have nothing to do with how I live my life. (I run a business, so losing a job doesn't apply to me, for example.) Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book and offer my opinion.

I would recommend this to anyone looking to either change or improve their daily lives and wants to do so, a day at a time. It'd be a bonus if they are also into Stoicism or are curious about Stoic principles.
The book is divided into four parts: where are we headed?, what are we up against?, how to design a life that flows well, and how to handle everyday problems.
The chapter I was most curious and intrigued about was on focus and the author shares four ways to seize the day- the practical exercise at the end of this section focusing on not just making a to-do list but more on simply taking the time to list all the things that need to be done and then focusing on getting those done.
I loved this tip and would try it out.
I'd say that this book is formatted in the most simple, direct and easy to use way that does not bombard you with the things you can do to change.
Thanks Netgalley for the eARC.

This was a wonderful book. Finally, an author who knows what living is really like and how we can change the issues we are dealt with.

As someone who experiences anxiety, I'm always searching for ways to manage it. My husband talks about the stoics a lot and when I saw this title, I knew I needed to read the book. I learned so much and enjoyed the information and how it was presented. I didn't feel overwhelmed when reading Chuck's research. I appreciated how it was structured. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.