Marcus, known as one of history's "philosopher kings," wrote the private writings that constitute "Meditations" during the chaotic last decade of his life, from A.D. 170 to A.D. 180. It is his interpretation of Stoic philosophy, focusing on accepting things out of one's control and maintaining mastery over one's emotions.
Ravikant said "Meditations" was "absolutely life-changing." "Here's a guy who was probably the most powerful human being on Earth at the time that he lived ... and when you open this book you realize he had all the same issues and all the same mental struggles [as anyone else]," Ravikant said, adding that this caused him to realize power and success do not improve your inner life.
Gregory Hays' highly readable translation makes Marcus' lessons more accessible rather than trivializing them.