This book had the potential to be great and enlighten an audience about the little known topic of American stoicism, however, it fell flat. Personal politics had a big part to play in this book, which I believe led to its ruin because you should introduce a topic with limited to no bias, to allow the reader to come to their own conclusion. Since the author splashed his personal opinions throughout the book, it felt more like a biased, informative book rather than just informative. I prefer the later when reading nonfiction because I want to come to my own conclusions and biases, not be steered in a specific direction to validate someone else's opinion.

Before Mark Matousek's LESSONS FROM AN AMERICAN STOIC: HOW EMERSON CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE, I knew little of Ralph Waldo Emerson beyond his importance to the Transcendentalist movement. Matousek's book not only makes Emerson's wisdom accessible, he also provides a rich commentary with interviews with notable individuals and his own personal experience with Emerson's wisdom as a desperately lost and confused young man. I enjoyed the stories throughout, the pithy wisdom of a philosopher I did not know, and the overall powerful positive force throughout the book. I received a copy of this book and these thoughts are my own, unbiased opinions.

I seldom leave one star reviews. I hate doing it. I have made a personal policy to only review books I would handsell with joy. I believe every author deserves at least two stars for putting in the effort and creating something, even if I didn't like it.
However.
The slide of liberal politics into books is a huge red flag in my book.
I read fiction to escape, I read non fiction for learning, motivation, understanding.
Thankfully I turned to the Chapter: Turn the Obstacle Upside Down right away.
On the second page, the author delves into personal propaganda: painting a family member as crazy because he (the family member) is Conservative.
I stopped reading the book.
I have no idea how much personal politics plays into this book, but that alone was enough for me to not push forward.
Falling asleep nightly, I listen (on Audible) to How to Think Like A Roman Emperor by Donald Robertson (no political agenda - simply motivation and understanding) or The Cave and the Light by Arthur Herman. Now, the Cave and the Light leans right (argues that Aristotle is better for the Indvidual and Plato is more about blunting out the Individual in favor of group thought) but it is honest about that from the get go.
Had this been labeled to state: A Leftists Idea of Stoics, I wouldn't have bothered, thus saving the Author from a one star review.
I will not handsell this and stick to the Donald Robertson book which has always been my Go To recommendation as it never seeks to diminish a certain group of people. Something, I believe, a true Stoic would never do.