Philosophy Reader

While medicine and science have obviously changed enormously since the classical world, and some Greco-Roman beliefs about diet now appear hilariously off the mark, How to Eat reveals that much of their advice still resonates—and all of it is fascinating.

The second-century Greek physician Galen—the most famous doctor in antiquity after Hippocrates—is a central figure in Western medicine. A talented doctor, surgeon, writer, philosopher, teacher, pharmacologist, and inventor, Galen attended the court of Marcus Aurelius, living through outbreaks of plague that devastated the Roman Empire. He also served as a physician for professional gladiators. In writings that provided the foundation of Western medicine up to the nineteenth century, Galen created a unified account of health and disease.

An entertaining and enlightening anthology of classical Greek and Roman writings on animals—and our vital relationships with them.

The timeless teachings of Epictetus, one of the greatest Stoic philosophers, are now at your disposal in an updated language, close to your reality. Imagine feeling in control of yourself, no matter what happens around you. That is the essence of stoicism: a life of inner freedom and serenity. Each page will open you to a new way of thinking, teaching you to master your emotions and see challenges as opportunities for personal growth.

In 45 BCE, the Roman statesman Cicero fell to pieces when his beloved daughter, Tullia, died from complications of childbirth. But from the depths of despair, Cicero fought his way back. In an effort to cope with his loss, he wrote a consolation speech—not for others, as had always been done, but for himself. And it worked. Cicero's Consolation was something new in literature, equal parts philosophy and motivational speech.

Whether you farm or garden, live in the country or long to move there, or simply enjoy an occasional rural retreat, you will be delighted by this cornucopia of writings about living and working on the land, harvested from the fertile fields of ancient Greek and Roman literature. An inspiring antidote to the digital age, How to Be a Farmer evokes the beauty and bounty of nature with a rich mixture of philosophy, practical advice, history, and humor.

To give and receive well may be the most human thing you can do-but it is also the closest you can come to divinity. So argues the great Roman Stoic thinker Seneca in his longest and most searching moral treatise, "On Benefits" (De Beneficiis). James Romm's splendid new translation of essential selections from this work conveys the heart of Seneca's argument that generosity and gratitude are among the most important of all virtues.

The Prince is a 16th-century political treatise by the Italian diplomat and political theorist Niccolò Machiavelli. The Prince is sometimes claimed to be one of the first works of modern philosophy, especially modern political philosophy, in which the effective truth is taken to be more important than any abstract ideal. It was also in direct conflict with the dominant Catholic and scholastic doctrines of the time concerning politics and ethics.

In the winelands of 16th-century Germany, Obsopoeus witnessed the birth of a poisonous new culture of bingeing, hazing, peer pressure, and competitive drinking. Alarmed, and inspired by the Roman poet Ovid's Art of Love, he wrote The Art of Drinking (1536), a how-to manual for drinking with pleasure and discrimination. In How to Drink, Michael Fontaine offers the first proper English translation of Obsopoeus' text, rendering his poetry into spirited, contemporary prose and uncorking a forgotten classic that will appeal to drinkers of all kinds and (legal) ages.

Civilization and Its Discontents is a book by Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis. It was written in 1929 and explores what Freud sees as the important clash between the desire for individuality and the expectations of society. The book is considered one of Freud's most important and widely read works, and one of the most influential and studied books in the field of modern psychology. This book has been carefully adapted in to modern English to allow for easy listening. Enjoy!

Discover timeless guidance for modern life in this fresh, accessible translation of Epictetus’s Enchiridion, the cornerstone of Stoic philosophy. Written nearly two thousand years ago, this powerful handbook offers practical advice on how to live with resilience, clarity, and inner peace—even in the face of chaos.

Self Reliance is an essay written in 1841 by Ralph Waldo Emerson. It contains the most thorough statement of one of Emerson's recurrent themes: the need for each individual to avoid conformity and false consistency, and follow his own instincts and ideas. This essay is an analysis into the nature of the aboriginal self on which a universal reliance may be grounded. He stresses that anyone is capable of achieving happiness simply if they change their mindset. Emerson focuses on seemingly insignificant details explaining how life is "learning and forgetting and learning again".

The Wager We Never Won is a meditation on the human obsession with control—our endless attempts to gamble with chaos, to negotiate with fate, to turn risk into meaning. Through lyrical prose and quiet revelation, the book traces the lineage of ambition from the explorers who defied the sea to the modern dreamers who believe progress will save them. It asks whether courage and arrogance have ever truly been different, and whether survival itself might be the most dangerous illusion of all.

The Art of the Delusion is a meditation on power, image, and the quiet disappearance of truth beneath the glow of persuasion. In a world where confidence outweighs competence and charisma becomes currency, reality is no longer discovered—it’s negotiated.

The Woods Without Gods is a poetic and philosophical meditation on the disappearance of the sacred from the modern world. Where once every forest was a temple and every shadow whispered divinity, now there is only silence — the echo of meaning lost to measurement. This book journeys through that silence, tracing how humanity’s hunger for mastery erased mystery, and how, in our pursuit of progress, we forgot how to listen. Neither nostalgic nor cynical, The Woods Without Gods reveals what remains after faith: attention.

Since 1998, the Alfred A. Knopf Publishing Group has celebrated National Poetry Month by emailing a poem-a-day throughout the month of April to over 25,000 devoted poetry fans. In April 2006, Knopf introduced the Poem-a-Day podcast, which featured poets including Kevin Young and James Merrill...

El arte de ser feliz es una pequeña joya literaria y un valioso libro de cabecera, que reúne cincuenta reglas para la vida que cualquier persona puede aplicar. Arthur Schopenhauer solía dedicarse a la redacción de pequeños tratados como este, a los que concebía como textos para su uso práctico personal.

Apology is a philosophical dialogue written by Plato, chronicling the trial of Socrates. In this work, Socrates defends himself against charges of corrupting the youth and impiety, ultimately leading to his conviction and execution. Despite his defense, Socrates remains steadfast in his commitment to truth and virtue, refusing to compromise his beliefs even in the face of death.

"MANUAL DE VIDA: ENQUIRIDIÓN DE EPICTETO EN LENGUAJE CONTEMPORÁNEO" es más que un libro, es una herramienta para liberar tu mente y alcanzar la paz interior que tanto buscas. Las enseñanzas atemporales de Epicteto, uno de los más grandes filósofos estoicos, ahora están a tu disposición en un lenguaje actualizado, cercano a tu realidad. Este manual no es solo para leer, es para vivirlo. Te ayudará a desarrollar una fortaleza mental, a enfrentar los problemas con serenidad, y a descubrir lo que realmente importa en la vida.

I wrote this book for you. Yes, YOU. You in particular. Herein you’ll find exactly the words you need to hear. You’ll know them when you hear them. I tried to keep this as brief as possible so you wouldn’t have to search very hard to find the words you need or listen to anything more than what was absolutely necessary. I know you’re a busy person and you don’t have much free time, so I’m trying to make this easy for you. Some of the things I’ve written here are going to seem odd…and others will make complete sense.