The Good Life Handbook: Epictetus' Stoic Classic Enchiridion

by Chuck Chakrapani

The Good Life Handbook is a rendering of Enchiridion in plain English. It is a concise summary of the teachings of Epictetus, as transcribed and later summarized by his student Flavius Arrian. The Handbook is a guide to the good life. It answers the question, “How can we be good and live free and happy, no matter what else is happening around us?”
Ancient Stoics lived in a time of turmoil under difficult conditions. So, the solutions they found to living free was tested under very stringent conditions. For example, the author of this Handbook was a lame slave who made himself free and happy later in life by following the principles set out in this book.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction, Self Help, Classics, Psychology, Personal Development, Amazon

79 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2016

Reviews

[B. Rule · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a "plain English" translation of the Enchiridion, but what that means in practice is that it reads like "How to Win Friends and Influence People: Stoic Edition". It's definitely easy to read, but a lot of the detail is lost in the translation. It really seems like this was written as a business or self-help version of the text, which I suppose may be because the translator appears to be a business person rather than someone with philosophical training. Fine for what it is, but I'd rather have a serious edition of Epictetus' work.

[Ganesh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Answers some of the big questions I had about life and living.

Three stars, because it lacked depth. This would have been a stellar creation had it been nore detailed.

However, one cannot deny the fact that some hard lessons in life come in small volumes.

In short, this is a pleasant read.

[Ananya Ghosh · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the middle of July, I grew very fond of a man who I met on Twitter (@dailystoic). If alive, he would have been about 2000 years old today. I would have asked him out on a date, but then he would have certainly dumped me, horrified by my sense of humour ("Avoid trying to be funny", he wrote). Anyway, he lived mostly in solitude and taught philosophy in Greece. Marcus Aurelius was also his fanboy.


Epictetus, was his name.


I procured two translations of his discourses, compiled as Enchiridion, or The Handbook. This one, The Good Life Handbook: Epictetus' Stoic Classic by Chuck Chakrapani is available for free on Kindle and is surprisingly good. The other one is by Sharon Labell, which I will review soon. Epictetus had many good things to say. One of my favourite lines from this book is:


Treat your critics with compassion


"When someone criticizes you, they do so because they believe they are right. They can only go by their views, not yours. If their views are wrong, it is they who will suffer the consequences. Keeping this in mind, treat your critics with compassion. When you are tempted to get back at them, remind yourself, “They did what seemed to them to be the right thing to do." "

[Aizah Dawod · Rating 1 out of 5]

Alltså snälla. Värsta boken någonsin. Varje ord kändes som en nål i ögat. Vissa av lärdomarna är väl ändå helt ok. Men det är bara såna lärdomar man lär sig med tiden. Boken är väl bra till folk som är åtta år så dem slipper livskriser genom åren. Resten av lärdomarna lät så hipster att det kändes som att jag pratade med en ultra-spiritual nörd. Läs inte. Waste of time.

Den förtjänar inte ens en munk. Men den får en munk för författaren verkar behöva en.

🍩/🍩🍩🍩🍩🍩

[Matthew Bloomquist · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great introduction to the philosophical framework of stoicism. It is incredible to me how close man gets to the truth through common grace and natural law. So many parallels to the Christian Worldview. Where the Stoic says determinism, the Christian says Sovereign Providence. Stoicism falls short as it leaves no room for human responsibility and love of neighbor. It promises deliverance from pain but locks away joy.

[Justin · Rating 4 out of 5]

It gets straight to the point but seems very similar to other Stoic books. Two of the examples used in a recent Stoic book (I think it was How to Think Like a Roman Emperor: The Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius) show up here almost verbatim [I am not accusing the author of plagiarism, perhaps the examples were from the original work].

[Romeo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good insights can be found.

Very good insights and while not everything will be 100% for everyone it is definitely worth considering. Have read it twice and still am amazed when I read something new in it that makes me think of life and what’s really important.

[Blackdogsworld · Rating 4 out of 5]

หนังสือของ Epictetus เล่มนี้เหมาะแก่การตั้งต้นศึกษาปรัชญาสโตอิก สำนวนของ Chuck Chakrapani เข้าใจง่าย และกระชับ แม้จะลดทอนเนื้อหาไปบ้าง แต่ใจความสำคัญยังครบถ้วน

[Wiki · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is just a one and half hour read but read and think about it. Must read lesson for lifetime.

[Daniel Seifert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Used to nurture a daily stoic exercise.

[Steven Casciato · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good, concise summary of stoicism

For those of us dealing with difficult life situations, this is a good way to organize ones thoughts. I've never believed in using twenty words where ten will do, and neither, apparently, did Epictetus. A gift from across the centuries.

[A. Sacit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Precious, encapsulated age-old wisdom to guide one through life.

[Yash Arya · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the Stoics do have several snippets of good advice, the essence of it can be captured in what's known as the Serenity Prayer, which asks for:

"the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can,
and the wisdom to know the difference."

This emphasis on focusing on the things you can control is central to Stoicism. While that is good, I do think those with a Stoic mindset can be too quick in accepting that something isn't in their control.

The laws of nature aren't in your control, and many human-made institutions may appear to not be in your control, and certainly you couldn't hope to change them entirely or overnight, but it's a mistake to treat human-made institutions and conventions as if they're natural laws. If the only thing in your control is to chip at it every so slightly, then that is what you should do, assuming it's an important goal to you. Acceptance should be reserved for only when and to the degree that something is out of your control.

You may find it interesting to compare and contrast the similarities and differences between this book and the following essay.
https://courses.aynrand.org/works/the...

[gregrampage · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an intro to stoicism

I first tried listening to Marcus Aurelius 'Meditations' on audiobook and a similar short style made it hard to digest what he was saying. Then when reading more about Stoicism I saw this book for free download. It's the perfect, easy to understand starting point. I shall next turn to Meditations.

[Heather Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

This contemporary-language paraphrase of the Enchiridion is much more accessible than other translations I have read. Epictetus's ideas can be expressed simply, and I was pleased to find what I was looking for - an Enchiridion readable enough to give to teenagers, still true to the ideas in the book.

[Ahmad A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read Elizabeth Carter's translation of The Enchiridion a couple of days ago and I liked it, it was translated to academic English, this one, however, is translated into a more practical and easier English. The examples it contains are closer to every day life. I like both to be honest. A very good book and totally recommended.

[Mark Heaman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very clear and concise translations of the brilliant wisdom dispensed by Epictetus

[Htb2050 · Rating 5 out of 5]

A modern language translation of the Enchridion.

[Francisco Câmara Ferreira · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another classic of stoicism, this one by Epictetus which I thoroughly enjoyed and wished more people would read.

[Christina Bialik · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is excellent. I find when I’m stewing over a problem, more than once I’v pages through this book and been able to find something relevant to read that has let me feel more at peace.

[Sibongile Matema · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Greek word Enchiridion can be translated as ‘manual’. The idea is that these sayings provide a manual for life, a ‘how to’ guide on living a good life; in fact, on living life in the best way possible.
Epictetus gave excellent advice; mainly, the idea is to focus on one’s own words, thoughts, and actions, as opposed to worrying about what other people think, say, or do.
It also recommends, in dealing with others, that we be gentle, that we have compassion for others, that we not envy them, and that we always view things in such a way that they are not burdensome (‘taking things by the right handle’).

[Bighomer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This booklet consists of 53 statements with short explanations. There isn't any groundbreaking insight in those statements, but they are worth reading nonetheless.
I can't speak to the translation, but I found the language plain as promised, and fitting with the text. The explanations in the book are down to earth, and some of the examples are almost funny. "He has the lettuce, but you still have the money. It's the same with social situations." "We could understand if your horse bragged about it's beauty."

[Willow Rankin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having not read much philosophy this was a strange book. The book itself was free on the Amazon kindle webstore, and so I was intrigued to pick up a copy and have a look.
For a first timer at classical philosophy, this was a surprisingly easy read, and instead read like a self-help book with guiding principles. Its very concise and easy to read, and great for an early learner to this sometimes complex ideology.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Paraphrase of an Ancient Text

Epictetus' Enchirdion has probably been translated many times. Some translations are difficult to read, while others are not. This rendering of the the Enchirdion was a good introduction to Epictetus. The Discourses are a lot more challenging and probably give a more complete view of Epictetus' teaching.

[Theodorus B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read

It wasn't as good as I thought it would be
Felt the lessons for some chapters could of been more detailed but I understand why it wasn't.

This type of literature is good when it's to the point especially to make it an easy read for everyone

Will definitely be diving into the free book to see if I can learn more

[Chris Armer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great motivational book based on ancient wisdom

This is a very quick read. Short book.
Stoicism is a great philosophy concerned with how to live a good life. Epictetus has a lot of good things to say in alignment with this mindset. There's so much wisdom in the book. I look forward to reviewing my notes often.

[Kyle Cost · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good intro to some basic Stoic principles

This is a great small reference for basic Stoic principles. It’s easy to refer to when you just need a quick reminder, which we all do from time to time. Stoicism isn’t something you read once and then you’re done. You have to constantly refer back to it to keep the principles fresh and for that this book does a wonderful job.

[Brian Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Modernized text and formatting make for easier reading.

Great introductory version of Stoic classic. Scholars will look elsewhere for a more literal translation, textual criticism and commentary. It was just what I was looking for, however. Highly recommended.

[smilljns · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty nice, easy, straightforward book. A good way to be introduced to Stoicism and Epictetus's philosophy. I would definitely recommend it to whom is starting looking into philosophy, as it is a very practical book and can be read in a few hours.

[Prashaantbhujbal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good

Epictetus advice in concise form. A daily reader.
"Don’t wish for things to happen the way you would like them to. Rather, welcome whatever happens. This is the path to peace, freedom, and happiness."...Epictetus.