A Guide to the Good Life

The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy

English language

Published July 29, 2008 by Oxford University Press.

ISBN:
978-0-19-537461-2
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OCLC Number:
213495186

View on OpenLibrary

4 stars (32 reviews)

One of the great fears many of us face is that despite all our effort and striving, we will discover at the end that we have wasted our life. In A Guide to the Good Life, William B. Irvine plumbs the wisdom of Stoic philosophy, one of the most popular and successful schools of thought in ancient Rome, and shows how its insight and advice are still remarkably applicable to modern lives. In A Guide to the Good Life, Irvine offers a refreshing presentation of Stoicism, showing how this ancient philosophy can still direct us toward a better life. Using the psychological insights and the practical techniques of the Stoics, Irvine offers a roadmap for anyone seeking to avoid the feelings of chronic dissatisfaction that plague so many of us. Irvine looks at various Stoic techniques for attaining tranquility and shows how to put these techniques to work in our …

1 edition

Review of 'A guide to the good life' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

There's one point in the book where the author basically just says "people in their 20s are too entitled to appreciate Stoicism" which I find silly to say the least. The book is great and I'd fully recommend it to anybody who isn't going to read the ancient stoics. If you are already versed in Stoic techniques then you might not get a lot out of it though.

Review of 'A guide to the good life' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

This book is simple and effective, with clear explanations and methodical organization. Irvine argues that, unlike the ancient Greeks and Romans, modern people tend to lack a philosophy for living, and that people can benefit from incorporating philosophical principles into their daily life. He makes the case for Stoicism in particular as a philosophy with special utility in helping people manage negative emotions and attain a greater sense of tranquility.

Throughout the book he introduces the major figures in Stoic history, their teachings, and advises how to apply them to modern life. Dealing with insults, aging, insults, and grief are all topics covered in the book. While Stoicism today is somewhat obscure and misunderstood, many readers will see familiar parallels in Buddhism (which also understands that desire and attachments are a source of frustration and misery) and the literature about mindfulness.

While I discovered and adopted Stoicism on my own …

Review of 'A guide to the good life' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

This was an excellent contemporary introduction to Roman Stoicism but, as others have said, I felt it was not as succinct as such a book deserved to be, and perhaps more dry than one normally expects from popular science or philosophy writers. That notwithstanding, it was a fascinating read, I very much enjoyed it, and I would recommend it to anyone interested in practical application of Stoicism in their own lives.

It ends with a reading list of Roman and Greek Stoics, which gives the reader pointers on where to continue their education on the topic, whether it be for academic or practical purposes.

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  • Stoics

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