About this title: "An immense dose of Epictetus would do us all a great deal of good, and I am grateful (beyond irony) to Tom Wolfe for reviving Epictetus" - Harold Bloom. So what makes the writings of this former slave so powerful today? Epictetus observed that although everyday life is fraught with difficulty, a life of virtue is within reach. He dedicated his life to outlining the simple way to happiness, fulfillment, and tranquility. By putting into practice the 93 witty, wise, and razor-sharp instructions that make up "The Art of Living", readers learn to gracefully meet the challenges of everyday life as ...
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Binding: Paperback
Publisher: HarperOne
Date Published: 6/26/2007
ISBN-13:9780061286056ISBN:0061286052
Description: New. 0061286052 Brand New Book With Remainder Mark. May Have Slight Shelf Wear. In-Stock Now For Immediate Secure Packaging & Delivery wear on DJ. read more
Binding: Softcover
Publisher: Harperone
Date Published: 2007-07-01
ISBN-13:9780061286056ISBN:0061286052
Description: NEW. Softcover. From an inventory that is 100% brand-new, 100% direct from the publishers' distribution channel. We carry NO pre-owned, NO remaindered. We pack in CARDBOARD to ensure the pristine quality is maintained. (Bubble-wrap alone is NOT sufficient to protect from USPS equipment. ) Guaranteed brand-NEW, protected with CARDBOARD, your satisfaction is guaranteed. BKLUVID: 9780061286056. read more
Description: Fine. 8vo-over 7¾"-9¾" Tall. pp.126 with interviews, insights and more. Learn to meet the challenges of everyday life successfully and to face life's inevitable losses and disappointments with grace. clean tight copy. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Harper 1995
Date Published: 1995
ISBN-13:9780062513229ISBN:0062513222
Description: ISBN 0062513222. Hardback. Reprint edition. Good condition book is missing its half title page in a Good condition, price-clipped dustjacket with minor rubs and creases around its edges. Tight, sound, unmarked copy. read more
Description: Fine; Collectible. HC 1994. Great condition. Appears unread. No marks/underlines/highlights. Pages are clean and tight. Minor shelfwear. Free deliver confirmation. Satisfaction guaranteed! read more
Description: Good. Book shows minor use. Cover and Binding have minimal wear and the pages have only minimal creases. A tradition of southern quality and service. All books guaranteed at the Atlanta Book Company. read more
Description: Good. Light shelving wear with minimal damage to cover and bindings. Pages show minor use. Help save a tree. Buy all your used books from Green Earth Books. Read. Recycle and Reuse! read more
Description: Good. Some pages and fore edge are a little dirty. Other than that book is in excellent condition. Book has been noticeably read/used, yet remains in clean condition. Average wear to cover, pages, and/or binding. Spine shows signs of wear. Cover/pages intact; may have highlights/ underlining which do not obscure text. Trinity City Books ships from the. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: HARPER COLLINS
Date Published: 2007
ISBN-13:9780061286056ISBN:0061286052
Description: New. Epictetus was born into slavery about 55 ce in the eastern outreaches of the Roman Empire. Once freed, he established an influential school of Stoic philosophy, stressing that human beings cannot control life, only their responses to it. By putting... read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Harpercollins Publishers Inc
Date Published: 2007
ISBN-13:9780061286056ISBN:0061286052
Description: New. Epictetus observed that although everyday life is fraught with difficulty, a life of virtue is within reach. By putting into practice the 93 witty, wise, and razor-sharp instructions, this work helps readers learn to gracefully meet the challenges of... read more
Description: Very Good. 0062513222 Dust jacket has light shelf wear, one page dog-eared, pages are clean, tight and bright! Overall in Great-close to new-Condition! read more
"This is the first time I have read Epictetus, or any work of stoic philosophy for that matter, so if you are looking for an expert opinion you might want to look elsewhere. If, however, you are interested in reading Epictetus for the first time yourself then my little review might be of some use.
I was impressed by the degree to which the thoughts expressed in this book could be applied in modern daily life. Epictetus believed that for philosophy to have any real value it had to be put into action to create a more noble life for its practitioner. His unrelenting insistence on the practical application of philosophy should be refreshing to contemporary readers who have come to regard philosophy as more of a way of understanding the world than a way of living in it. I came to the book with the notion that Stoicism meant acceptance of the world, and while Epictetus does preach acceptance of those things over which we have no control, he also emphasises the importance of doing the best we can in those areas in which we do have control. It is a very practical book, particularly for people like me who will stew for hours about the moron who cut me off in traffic.
I do have a few reservations. One the one hand Epictetus cautions against us attaching values to actions or events, but would have us understand that these thing are simply what they are. We should not say they are either good nor evil. Yet he also believes that "things happen for a reason" and that reason seems to be part of the plan of a universal force - in other words events do have a moral component. This seems to be a contradiction of his earlier "events have no meaning outside of themselves" ascertation. It also smacks uncomfortably of "all is for the best in the best of all possible worlds."
I also found the translation by Sharon Lebell jarring at times. While I appreciate the difficulty in making an 1800 year old text accessible to modern readers, I got the distinct impression that I was reading a "Good News Bible" version of Epictetus. Did she really need to put the words "don't be the class clown" in his mouth? The inclusion of many modern phrases was intrusive.
Still, as an introduction to both Epictetus and stoic philosophy, I believe this book is a great place to start."
"The interesting thing about stoic philosophy is that two of the greatest proponents of it were an emperor and a slave. Two very different points of view and yet their ideas are strikingly similar. I think it helps the notion that stoicism is accessible to all mankind."
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