// Book comparison
Ego Is the Enemy vs The Body Keeps the Score
Which should you read? A side-by-side comparison of Ego Is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday and The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk.
Ego Is the Enemy
by Ryan Holiday
★ 4.9/5
The Body Keeps the Score
by Bessel van der Kolk
★ 4.9/5
At a glance
| Ego Is the Enemy | The Body Keeps the Score | |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | ★ 4.9/5 | ★ 4.9/5 |
| Pages | 256 | 464 |
| Reading time | ~6.4 h | ~11.6 h |
| Published | 2016 | 2014 |
| Author | Ryan Holiday | Bessel van der Kolk |
| Category | Personal Effectiveness | Personal Effectiveness |
| Publisher | Portfolio | Viking |
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).
- → You want the more recent perspective (2016).
Choose The Body Keeps the Score if…
- → You're interested in personal effectiveness.
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.
Key takeaways — The Body Keeps the Score
- ✓ Acknowledge the Physiological Basis of Behavior, recognizing that your team's reactions to stress are often driven by deep-seated biological patterns rather than just professional logic.
- ✓ Prioritize Psychological and Somatic Safety within your organization, as the human brain cannot engage in high-level strategic thinking when the body is in a state of perceived threat.
- ✓ Implement Self-Regulation Techniques as a core leadership skill, utilizing mindfulness and body-awareness to maintain executive presence and clarity during high-stakes organizational crises.
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 Body Keeps the Score is the better fit. Both summaries are free — no signup required.
❓ FAQ
Is Ego Is the Enemy or The Body Keeps the Score 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 Body Keeps the Score focuses on personal effectiveness. See the verdict below.
Which is shorter, Ego Is the Enemy or The Body Keeps the Score? +
Ego Is the Enemy is shorter (256 pages, ~6.4 hours) compared to The Body Keeps the Score (464 pages, ~11.6 hours).
Should I read Ego Is the Enemy or The Body Keeps the Score 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.