The Roman Emperor, ruling an empire at war, wrote these notes to himself about how to live: impermanence, duty, the indifference of the universe, the necessity of virtue. He never intended publication; the private nature of the writing gives it intimacy and power. The prose is repetitive because Marcus had to keep reminding himself of truths that kept slipping away. The Stoic philosophy has comforted readers for eighteen centuries. Marcus died on campaign. The empire declined. The meditations survived. They still work. How long will you wait before you demand the best of yourself?