Discourses and Enchiridion
Epictetus
A much better expression of Stoic ideas than “Thoughts of Marcus Aurelius.” Epictetus (or his student Arrian) seems to be a more focused thinker than M.A., whose book really does just read like a scattershot collection of his thoughts. The Enchiridion and The Discourses cover pretty much the same material, with the former basically a condensed version of the latter. If you are interested in Stoic philosophy, I would recommend starting with the Enchiridion, then if you like it moving on to The Discourses. Marcus Aurelius is OK but I’d probably recommend Cicero over him.
The school of thought is simple to understand but a challenge to put into practice. Although I’m not sure I’m with Epictetus on everything, he definitely has some compelling insights. This is a book that I imagine I’ll definitely come back to over the years.