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For a very accessible and practical guide to Seneca (and other stoic philosophers), check out "A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy" by Willia
by mattjaynes 12y ago
For a very accessible and practical guide to Seneca (and other stoic philosophers), check out "A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy" by William Irvine
The title is a little cheesy, but the content is gold. It's one of the books I re-read (or re-listen to via Audible) multiple times a year. I find the repetition is really valuable since I can slip so easily back into my old thought patterns.
When I count books that have been most helpful to me, this one is at the top of the list (followed by "War of Art" by Pressfield).
For a synopsis, check out Derek Sivers book notes on it: https://sivers.org/book/StoicJoy https://sivers.org/book/StoicJoy
Derek's intro to the notes: "Rating: 10/10. Almost too personal for me to give an objective review, because I found when reading it that the quirky philosophy I've been living my life by since 17 matches up exactly with a 2000-year-old philosophy called Stoicism. Mine was self-developed haphazardly, so it was fascinating to read the refined developed original. Really resonated."
- mikepilla 12y agoGreat recommendation. Irvine sets the historical background and suggests practical application. I plan on revisiting the original texts, this time with more meaning, and context.
- jedc 12y agoI wholeheartedly agree. I found it both interesting, and "actionable". It's helped me in very tangible way, particularly in stressful situations where I might have otherwise lost my cool.
- dome82 12y agoI agree with you. I re-read it multiple times and doing it again in these days. The content has been so helpful in critical situations in my life like the death of my father. I should probably buy the Audible version too... Another great book that I would like to suggest is Meditations by Marcus Aurelius.
- ca98am79 12y ago+1 for Meditations