Originally published on Goodreads.
This is a good, modern version of the key maxims of Stoicism. Stoic philosophy is easy to understand and quite obvious, but difficult to apply in the moment. This book only takes 15 minutes to read and could (should) easily be a regular return read, making it much more likely you will remember and apply the principles.
The downside of this book is the same as the upside – it’s the pure principles and nothing else. It therefore lacks context. Meditations by Marcus Aurelius or Letters from a Stoic by Seneca provide more background for a deeper understanding, and should probably be the next thing to read before returning to the Manual as a recap.