"The Socrates Express: In Search of Life Lessons from Dead Philosophers" by Eric Weiner
A must-read while in quarantine.
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If you’re still one of those that have not been vaccinated yet (raises hand) - this is something you should read before you are distracted with social activities and while you still have time to self-reflect amidst the pandemic that has taken over our lives.
Eric Weiner picks 14 dead philosophers and describes their philosophies as it relates to our modern lives. I enjoyed his chapter formats such as “How to Wake Up Like Marcus Aurelius” or “How to Fight Like Ghandi”. That format gave me intention before starting each chapter, and that was more motivating than if it was just a chapter titled “Ghandi”. This is a perfect read for those that never really got into philosophy in college (raises hand again) but still doesn’t want to be completely ignorant about the topic.
Personally, I jived well with some philosophers (Socrates, Epictetus, Rousseau, Nietzsche) and others, not so much (Schopenhauer, Beauvoir, Epicurus). But how could I cook up my own life philosophy without first trying some ingredients? I guess I shouldn’t fuss too much about it as Weiner points out when you first open the book. He quotes:
“Sooner or later, life makes philosophers of us all”.
- Maurice Reisling
He’s right - eventually we all march to the beat of our own drum but it’s our choice in whether we march, walk, run, or even take some naps along the way. Hopefully, no one is napping too much because one quote I try to live by is:
“May you live every day of your life”
- Jonathan Swift
Even with this current situation we are all going through, it’s up to us to decide how to live it.
| Pub Date: | August 25, 2020 | Page Count: | 352 Pages | ISBN: | 9781501129018 |