A Guide to the Good Life
The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy
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A Guide to the Good Life
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Narrated by:
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James Patrick Cronin
About this listen
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 own life. As he does so, he describes his own experiences practicing Stoicism and offers valuable first-hand advice for anyone wishing to live better by following in the footsteps of these ancient philosophers. Listeners learn how to minimize worry, how to let go of the past and focus our efforts on the things we can control, and how to deal with insults, grief, old age, and the distracting temptations of fame and fortune. We learn from Marcus Aurelius the importance of prizing only things of true value, and from Epictetus we learn how to be more content with what we have.
Finally, A Guide to the Good Life shows listeners how to become thoughtful observers of their own lives. If we watch ourselves as we go about our daily business and later reflect on what we saw, we can better identify the sources of distress and eventually avoid that pain in our life. By doing this, the Stoics thought, we can hope to attain a truly joyful life.
©2009 William B. Irvine (P)2013 Audible, Inc.What listeners say about A Guide to the Good Life
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- MRW
- 25-07-2016
great example of stoicism
A little bias at times, although it is extremely informative and intriguing. worth a read/listen.
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- DM
- 16-04-2018
Great introduction to this philosophy of life.
The author tells his journey in practicing stoicism to obtain tranquility. It includes: History of stoicism, how to practice it, how the author put it into practice himself, and recommended stoic reading.
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- Amazon Customer
- 12-07-2022
Excellent
Great read, good content. Easy to listen to narrator. Sensible logical transitions through ideas. I've listened twice and will probably go back to it again at some point. Recommend!
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- Anonymous User
- 01-01-2024
Clear. Concise. Life Changing.
Professor Irvine has done a most spectacular job of collecting and presenting the wisdoms and mthods of the stoics. I'm convinced this information is invaluable in the pursuit of happiness and fulfillment in our lives. Seriously good book. Give it a listen, but more importantly... Give it a try.
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- Paul
- 04-01-2024
Simple breakdown of stoa
Simple breakdown of stoa, with a few adjustments of the philosophy made by the author. Argument against self-disclosure in clinical interventions needed greater support than what was given. Otherwise, book was great and made sense.
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- Chin Scratcher
- 15-02-2016
Really good introduction
This book provided a thorough overview into the philosophy and (importantly) the actual practice of stoicism. Irvine fills in a few gaps and modernises this at times though acknowledges this clearly. All round a great listen!
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8 people found this helpful
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- Hannah
- 27-08-2019
I wish I’d read this years ago.
Sometimes I need to be told uncomfortable truths. This book told me in a way that made me want to listen, and made me want to change. More than that, though, it made me think that I can.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Campbell Vidgen
- 28-01-2021
Great introduction to Stoicism
Really enjoyed the book and the thought provoking discussions . Would recommend to someone looking to lead a thoughtful considered life
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- Anonymous User
- 17-09-2018
How to Live
An excellent introduction to the Stoic philosophy of life. Recommended for people who are concerned they may not be living their life.
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- David
- 07-03-2021
Great practical application
Know what you want from this book. I needed some good theory with application. The author is not a historian so the first section discussing the history was lacking in some critical engagement but was ok for a brief overview. The theory part was written as apologetics and therefore has a tendency to explain away problems and smooth over rough patches without going much into tensions, problems, incongruities, or understanding of differences between ancient and modern mindsets. This is fine as he clearly states that he is writing in defence of this process. In this way, I found it useful for a modern-day interpretation and a way of approaching it from an insider who is open about their bias and trying to write persuasively. I found the tools and examples very useful and have taken away a lot. If you are looking for a more objective investigation I would encourage you to look elsewhere. This is a training tool for people trying to learn a modern method of Stoicism and in that regard it is great.
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