Notes on the Art of Life

by Haim Shapira

Told in a positive, no-nonsense tone, this is the ultimate tour of philosophers, artists and academics throughout the ages by philosopher Haim Shapira.Notes on the Art of Life is Haim Shapira's version of Sei Shonagon's Pillow Book – a discursive and intensely personal collection of thoughts on life; a tribute to the importance of the here and now; the value of the moment and of paying attention to it. This is a personal, cheerful and idiosyncratic tour through the thoughts and experiences of philosophers, artists and academics, finding a path through the contradictions of philosophy and the intractable challenges of life (both existential and mundane). Content a wide range of philosophies, from Aristotle to Zhuang Zhu and Epicurus to SocratesTour the arts and thoughts of Abd al-Rahman III to Tolstoy, via Chekhov and GoetheExamine a myriad of essential topics, from silence and regret to happiness and other small things of absolute importance. And arriving finally at love.This book is like having a chatty and quite excitable friend guide you round a library of good books and different schools of thought. A companion who aims to comfort and reassure you about the complexities and challenges of life and of thinking about life.

Genres: Philosophy

273 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 8, 2023

About the author

Shapira was born in Vilnius, Lithuania in 1962 and immigrated to Israel in 1977.Haim Shapira holds two PhD's (Theoretical Mathematics and Science Education) , is one of Israel's most popular and in-demand lecturers, an author of seven best-selling books, a pianist and an avid collector of anything beautiful. He teaches mathematics, psychology, philosophy and literature. His book "Gladiators, Pirates and Games of Trust" was named one of the best Game Theory books of all time by BookAuthority.

Reviews

[8stitches 9lives]

Notes On the Art of Life follows philosopher Haim Shapira as he takes you on a journey through the valley of big life questions in this humorous, deeply personal and thought-provoking collection on the complexity and beauty of life. It provides the ultimate tour of philosophers, artists and academics throughout the ages.

Haim references everyone from Aristotle, Sei Shōnagon to Jane Austen and Game of Thrones, as he navigates a path through the contradictions of philosophy and the challenges of life looking at: the difference between romantic vs lasting love, the use and misuse of money, pleasure versus meaning.

This book is the perfect life companion, a blend of Eastern and Western philosophy combined with insights from literature and psychology, helping to expand and enrich the consciousness of the reader. A pleasant, informative and varied stroll through art and its undeniably strong connection to philosophy.

[Alice]

הכי יפה בעולם כל מילה מדויקת
הגיע לי בדיוק בזמן הנכון

[Obi Bourgois]

Leuk boek, maar zijn stilte over de genocide gepleegd over zijn land maakt dit een hol werk

[Aviv Kotek]

מעניין ומרענן. תודה על הכרות עם איקרוס, סולן, הפילוסופיה הסינית...ועוד. תמשיך לכתוב חיים!

[Ben]

3.5 stars!

Always enjoy Shapira's books, they explain complicated concepts in a pleasant down to earth manner.

I felt like I read that book exactly at the right time, having to decide about my career. The chapter regarding the research made about happiness, asking elder folks about what regrets they have in life, and the main answer is working too much and not spending enough time with friends and family was truly enlightening.

Also wrote on the book, almost a blasphemy for me in the past.

[Itamar]

I love the writing (and speaking) style of Haim Shapira. I am also intrigued by philosophy, so I had very high expectations for this book as I bumped into it at an airport.
Considering that, it's understandable I was a little disappointed. it is, indeed "notes about". It's not a cohesive whole, but a string of thoughts and ideas, best consumed in short bursts, followed by silent moments of thinking about the kernels of deep truth within.

I should re-read it at some point, and fill in the two exercises left for the reader. I should probably also pick up some of Shapira's other books.

[Yoav Matityhu]

3