// Book comparison
Ego Is the Enemy vs The War of Art
Which should you read? A side-by-side comparison of Ego Is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday and The War of Art by Steven Pressfield.
Ego Is the Enemy
by Ryan Holiday
★ 4.9/5
The War of Art
by Steven Pressfield
★ 4.9/5
At a glance
| Ego Is the Enemy | The War of Art | |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | ★ 4.9/5 | ★ 4.9/5 |
| Pages | 256 | 192 |
| Reading time | ~6.4 h | ~4.8 h |
| Published | 2016 | 2002 |
| Author | Ryan Holiday | Steven Pressfield |
| Category | Personal Effectiveness | Personal Effectiveness |
| Publisher | Portfolio | Black Irish Entertainment |
Choose Ego Is the Enemy if…
- → You're interested in personal effectiveness.
- → You want the higher-rated book (4.9/5).
- → You want the more recent perspective (2016).
Choose The War of Art if…
- → You're interested in personal effectiveness.
- → You prefer a shorter read (~4.8 hours).
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 War of Art
- ✓ Identify Resistance in your organization by recognizing the symptoms of procrastination and bureaucratic drama that often signal a team's fear of a transformative project.
- ✓ Transition from an Amateur to a Professional Mindset by requiring consistent, daily effort on core strategic goals, regardless of the fluctuating levels of individual inspiration.
- ✓ Maintain Territorial Focus by ensuring that your team members own and defend their specific areas of high-level expertise, protecting them from the 'Resistance' of mission creep.
The verdict
If you want the higher-rated, more acclaimed read, start with Ego Is the Enemy. If you want a different angle on the same topic, The War of Art is the better fit. Both summaries are free — no signup required.
❓ FAQ
Is Ego Is the Enemy or The War of Art 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 War of Art focuses on personal effectiveness. See the verdict below.
Which is shorter, Ego Is the Enemy or The War of Art? +
The War of Art is shorter (192 pages, ~4.8 hours) compared to Ego Is the Enemy (256 pages, ~6.4 hours).
Should I read Ego Is the Enemy or The War of Art 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.