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A Guide to the Good Life

By: William B. Irvine
Narrated by: James Patrick Cronin
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Publisher's Summary

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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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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Perfect introduction to stoicism

I loved the way this book is structured. The flow from one chapter to the other seems perfect. This book have enough information to understand the basics of stoicism and how and why you should practice it. In addition to that, the book creates an interest to further read on the topic. I would suggest this book to anyone that has always felt different to others, and feel like they are waking up from a dream to learn the truth. I rated this book 5/5 because it was worth my time.

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5 people found this helpful

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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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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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2 people found this helpful

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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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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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Worth the Listen for me

Will listen again as there's a lot to take in but easily understood and explained.

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Irvine is awesome!

Bill Irvine delivers an excellent book here. Great ideas shared in practical ways that can improve your life experiences.

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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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Great book. Very accessible.

However at times the narrator is hard to listen to. Every sentence is like a bulletin.

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