The ancient Stoic philosophy of turning obstacles into opportunities is the unlikely premise behind this number-one best seller. The principles may be 2,000 years old but they have been adopted by Silicon Valley entrepreneurs and high-performing athletes to great effect.

'What impedes us can empower us', explains the author Ryan Holiday in the preface to The Obstacle is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph. Holiday studied the Stoic philosophers and translated their principles into three disciplines: perception, action and will. In this empowering audiobook, he illustrates how to put those principles into practice through anecdotes and stories about famous figures from politics, sports, business and history, including John D Rockefeller, Amelia Earhart, Barack Obama and Steve Jobs.

First published in 2014, The Obstacle Is the Way quickly became popular with American sports teams, including the New England Patriots on their way to winning the Super Bowl. Athletes may seem an unlikely audience for stoicism, but the core messages of controlling what you can control, staying in the moment, and taking one game at a time struck a chord with competitive players and their coaches.

Narrated by the author, The Obstacle Is the Way is a must-listen for high-achievers in all fields. Holiday has gone on to write other books about career success and personal development based on ancient wisdom, including Ego Is the Enemy, Perseverance and the Art of Living, Stillness Is the Key and The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom.