// Book comparison

Ego Is the Enemy vs The Psychology of Money

Which should you read? A side-by-side comparison of Ego Is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday and The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel.

At a glance

Ego Is the Enemy The Psychology of Money
Rating ★ 4.9/5 ★ 4.9/5
Pages 256 256
Reading time ~6.4 h ~6.4 h
Published 2016 2020
Author Ryan Holiday Morgan Housel
Category Personal Effectiveness Personal Effectiveness
Publisher Portfolio Harriman House

Choose Ego Is the Enemy if…

  • You're interested in personal effectiveness.
  • You want the higher-rated book (4.9/5).
  • You prefer a shorter read (~6.4 hours).

Choose The Psychology of Money if…

  • You're interested in personal effectiveness.
  • You want the more recent perspective (2020).

Key takeaways — Ego Is the Enemy

  • Maintain a Lifelong Student Mindset by intentionally seeking out mentors and peers who challenge your strategic assumptions, preventing the 'stagnation of success'.
  • Prioritize Action over Talk, recognizing that the public narrative of your achievements is often a distraction from the deep work required to sustain your organization’s competitive edge.
  • Utilize the Plus, Minus, Equal framework to ensure your professional development is balanced, allowing you to learn, teach, and compete with humility and clarity.
Read full Ego Is the Enemy summary →

Key takeaways — The Psychology of Money

  • Prioritize Financial Flexibility over high returns, recognizing that the ability to survive market downturns is the prerequisite for benefiting from long-term compounding.
  • Understand the Role of Luck and Risk in every success story, ensuring you remain humble during booms and resilient during busts to maintain strategic clarity.
  • Adopt the Wealth Mindset by focusing on assets that provide control over your time, which is the ultimate measure of professional and personal effectiveness.
Read full The Psychology of Money summary →

The verdict

If you want the higher-rated, shorter read, start with Ego Is the Enemy. If you want a different angle on the same topic, The Psychology of Money is the better fit. Both summaries are free — no signup required.

❓ FAQ

Is Ego Is the Enemy or The Psychology of Money better? +

Ego Is the Enemy has the higher reader rating (4.9/5 vs 4.9/5), but "better" depends on your goal. Ego Is the Enemy focuses on personal effectiveness, while The Psychology of Money focuses on personal effectiveness. See the verdict below.

Which is shorter, Ego Is the Enemy or The Psychology of Money? +

Ego Is the Enemy is shorter (256 pages, ~6.4 hours) compared to The Psychology of Money (256 pages, ~6.4 hours).

Should I read Ego Is the Enemy or The Psychology of Money first? +

If you want the quicker, higher-rated read, start with Ego Is the Enemy. Otherwise read whichever matches your current goal — both summaries are free on BookHubs.