A good place to start before diving in.

Probably the most important thing that I should mention is that this book is less an original interpretation of stoic thoughts and ideas than it is a curated collection of some of the most important statements made by famous stoics and those influenced by them. However, it is no less for that fact and I appreciate the author's willingness to let the greats of stoic philosophy speak for themselves. Also, the author chose to set up the individual sections of the book as though they were lessons building off of one another in order to bring the reader/ listener to a more nuanced understanding of the topic gradually. In this I believe they were highly successful.

I believe this book serves as a great starting point for the interested to begin studying the subject in earnest. Perhaps the next step might be to study the original works mentioned in this text for ones self.

16 people found this helpful

A comprehensive guide to stoicism. Mind altering. Life changing

I recommend this to anyone seeking peace of mind through the practice of the philosophy o stoicism. This book is very well researched and covers all the great stoic thinkers such as Seneca, Marcus Aurelius, Schopenhauer even Emerson. I followed this purchase with ON ANGER by Seneca, MEDITATIONS by Aurelius, THE ENCHIRIDION, and THE WISDOM OF LIFE by Schopenhauer and THE COMPLETE ESSAYS OF MONTAIGNE and found that THE PRACTICING STOIC is like a really good “cliff notes” of the above books combined. So, this is the book I now recommend to friends and family. I reread it at least once a week, and have since purchased a physical copy as well.

Many thanks to the author for putting this together. Great job to the narrator as well.

4 people found this helpful

Highly recommend

Great book with many great unique ideas. Beautifully narrated and I love how he organized the ideas by topics. Very easy to follow . I can’t believe even 2000 years later same ideas apply to our lives today.

3 people found this helpful

practical, reasonable

I found parts to be amusing as well as helpful in dealing with everyday life.

7 people found this helpful

great stoic book

good narration. great informative. more informative than enlightening. good for a listen for learning and refreshing knowledge.

1 person found this helpful

An outstanding resource, great quotes and context!

A very useful survey of the teachings of the Stoics, quoting both from primary sources and the writings of later authors influenced by them. It's helpful to compare and contrast these views, and to have them placed in context by the author of this work. Recommend.

1 person found this helpful

Begins well, ends so so

The first 5 or so chapters are great. They follow the standard flow of a well written themed chapter. The later chapters are so so in that they are nothing but quotes from Epictetus, Seneca and Montaigne. Imagine listening to Epictetus says, Seneca says, or Montaigne says for a few hours. The bright side is you wouldn’t have to buy the aforementioned philosophers as their works are contained here.

3 people found this helpful

Pure Wisdom

All the wisdom of the ages! Many things have been learned and need to be contemplated in this book. It may need more than one reading to fully comprehend.

1000 Ways to say "don't let things bother you "

As a recreational reader I felt this book was well researched and informative about the philosophy of stoicism. I think if stoicism is your main interest this book is perfect but if you are a causal reader it may not be what you are looking for.

Pragmatic and to the point

Great introduction to Stoicism with a concise breakdown of stoic principles and techniques. 5 star listen.