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The Tao of Seneca
The Tao of Seneca: Practical Letters from a Stoic Master, Volume 2
The Tao of Seneca (volumes 1-3) is an introduction to Stoic philosophy through the words of Seneca. If you study Seneca, you'll be in good company. He was popular with the educated elite of the Greco-Roman Empire, but Thomas Jefferson also had Seneca on his bedside table. Thought leaders in Silicon Valley tout the benefits of Stoicism, and NFL management, coaches, and players alike - from teams such as the Patriots and Seahawks - have embraced it because the principles make them better competitors. Stoicism is a no-nonsense philosophical system designed to produce dramatic real-world effects. Think of it as an ideal operating system for thriving in high-stress environments. This is your guide.
307 pages, ebook
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2017 people want to read
About the author
Timothy Ferriss
40 books10.6k followersTim Ferriss is author of three #1 NYT/WSJ bestsellers: The 4-Hour Workweek, The 4-Hour Body, and The 4-Hour Chef. He is also a start-up advisor specializing in positioning, PR, and marketing (Uber, Evernote, etc.). When not damaging his body with abusive sports, he enjoys chocolate, bear claws, and Japanese animation.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
May 28, 2019
The second volume of the audiobook, just as good as the first.
September 20, 2022
Wise words and great takes from Seneca. I had a hard time understanding some of the language.
July 10, 2020
A great book but I would definitely recommend reading it in paper form rather than listening to it. It's just much harder to internalize that way.
April 22, 2020
Volume 2 had a few very interesting perspectives.
For example - water temperature can be impacted by another amount of water with a different temperature. So the final summary of the "Good life" can be considered as an amount (and quality) of desired (and not so desired) experiences.
I had enjoyed a bunch of reflections around that comparison.
In that book... You'll get the world-view with examples, like about an "honorable death". Early beginnings of the minimalism and essentialism.
Yet, overall the impact of the "volume 2" is much smaller than "volume 1" (for me - 3 vs 5 stars).
Yes, I know that now there are many books with one or one and a half great ideas mentioned through 100-300 pages. As if almost transparent (extremely thin) layer of butter, placed on top of the pizza size slice of bread.
But "volume 1" set my expectations high enough for the bitter disappointment.
I felt sad regarding a bunch of points where I though "what a terrible idea" (more than once).
It's easy to find:
* ideas hard to accept (for example enjoying pain like a joyful experience).
* or benchmark guidelines which can be destroyed by alternative perspectives and exceptions.
It's good to know what kind of ideas were valued before, what we can find on the market, but now... it's not that attractive. (Unless I missed the hidden "Practical" gems in the outdated content).
If you'll want to get a better perspective on finances - check
"Secrets of the Millionaire Mind: Mastering the Inner Game of Wealth" by T. Harv Eker. Book and/or his courses = it is easy to see that financial ideas from "volume 2" are outdated a lot.
If you are interested in Essentialism (as if improved "minimalism") - check
"Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less Hardcover" by Greg McKeown.
...
Overall, I think that it is better to re-read "volume 1" twice than (re)read "volume 2" once.
For example - water temperature can be impacted by another amount of water with a different temperature. So the final summary of the "Good life" can be considered as an amount (and quality) of desired (and not so desired) experiences.
I had enjoyed a bunch of reflections around that comparison.
In that book... You'll get the world-view with examples, like about an "honorable death". Early beginnings of the minimalism and essentialism.
Yet, overall the impact of the "volume 2" is much smaller than "volume 1" (for me - 3 vs 5 stars).
Yes, I know that now there are many books with one or one and a half great ideas mentioned through 100-300 pages. As if almost transparent (extremely thin) layer of butter, placed on top of the pizza size slice of bread.
But "volume 1" set my expectations high enough for the bitter disappointment.
I felt sad regarding a bunch of points where I though "what a terrible idea" (more than once).
It's easy to find:
* ideas hard to accept (for example enjoying pain like a joyful experience).
* or benchmark guidelines which can be destroyed by alternative perspectives and exceptions.
It's good to know what kind of ideas were valued before, what we can find on the market, but now... it's not that attractive. (Unless I missed the hidden "Practical" gems in the outdated content).
If you'll want to get a better perspective on finances - check
"Secrets of the Millionaire Mind: Mastering the Inner Game of Wealth" by T. Harv Eker. Book and/or his courses = it is easy to see that financial ideas from "volume 2" are outdated a lot.
If you are interested in Essentialism (as if improved "minimalism") - check
"Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less Hardcover" by Greg McKeown.
...
Overall, I think that it is better to re-read "volume 1" twice than (re)read "volume 2" once.
August 21, 2018
(This review is for the combined volumes of The Tao of Seneca)
The Tao of Seneca which is a compilation of letters that Lucius Annae Seneca wrote to his friend Lucilius is an extremely fascinating read. While it's not a textbook on stoicisim, it's an amazing read on how stoicism can be used in real life (even if that real life is in Roman times). Because it's written in the Roman times, the translation is also a bit hard to read at certain parts but it still holds up pretty well. As for the stoic content, it's one of the core readings in stoicism, an accessible yet deep account of stoicism.
I can highly recommend this!
The Tao of Seneca which is a compilation of letters that Lucius Annae Seneca wrote to his friend Lucilius is an extremely fascinating read. While it's not a textbook on stoicisim, it's an amazing read on how stoicism can be used in real life (even if that real life is in Roman times). Because it's written in the Roman times, the translation is also a bit hard to read at certain parts but it still holds up pretty well. As for the stoic content, it's one of the core readings in stoicism, an accessible yet deep account of stoicism.
I can highly recommend this!
August 2, 2019
Another impressive volume ... a few of the latter letters a bit strung out for me but the lovely prose compensates!
08.15
08.15
March 15, 2020
I enjoyed the first volume much more. On average, the letters are much longer in this one and are generally about how happiness is attained through virtue.
August 9, 2020
Good shit Seneca. Good shit.
December 4, 2020
Easiest of the three for me to read. Still hard for me to absorb much of it.
March 31, 2022
Seneca’s wisdom is timeless and this second volume includes great letters which form the basis of stoicism. An essential reading for anyone interested in stoicism.
July 27, 2022
The later letters from Seneca are not as well versed as the first 65
October 5, 2024
These letters are full of wisdom bits.
January 17, 2026
Good scenery may applied. After considering the titled, watch the decisioned. There is no God, but Allah SWT. Peace be upon him. Ahlussunnah wal jama'ah.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 1, 2025
Picking up where Volume 1 left off, this second volume covers letters 66 through 93 from Seneca to Lucilius Junior, further exploring key themes of Stoic philosophy. It also includes chapters from modern Stoics Massimo Pigliucci and William B. Irvine, along with insightful profiles on Tony Robbins, Chris Sacca, and Amelia Boone.
If you’re interested in Stoicism, I’d definitely recommend giving this a read.
If you’re interested in Stoicism, I’d definitely recommend giving this a read.
December 28, 2018
This volume is less interesting than the first one because the topics are more esoteric.
There's one topic though that's well developed and quite interesting: life and death. Seneca, (to my surprise) is in favour of suicide.
"The wise man will live as long as he ought, not as long as he can... Live, if you so desire; if not, you may return to the place whence you came.
The idea behind is that life in itself is not important, it's what one makes of it that counts.
You wish to live; well, do you know how to live? You are afraid to die. But come now: is this life of yours anything but death?
I want to insist that Seneca does not advocate giving up on life because it's hard or painful. As a stoic, he believes you can be happy even when you're in pain because real happiness comes from wisdom. The goal of life is to attain wisdom (which is, among other things, a state of peace even in the middle of a life-storm.) Once wisdom is attained and, if possible, shared, the wise man knows when it's time to "slip the cable".
Don't try this at home though even if (after "partying") you think you're one of those wise men now.
There's one topic though that's well developed and quite interesting: life and death. Seneca, (to my surprise) is in favour of suicide.
"The wise man will live as long as he ought, not as long as he can... Live, if you so desire; if not, you may return to the place whence you came.
The idea behind is that life in itself is not important, it's what one makes of it that counts.
You wish to live; well, do you know how to live? You are afraid to die. But come now: is this life of yours anything but death?
I want to insist that Seneca does not advocate giving up on life because it's hard or painful. As a stoic, he believes you can be happy even when you're in pain because real happiness comes from wisdom. The goal of life is to attain wisdom (which is, among other things, a state of peace even in the middle of a life-storm.) Once wisdom is attained and, if possible, shared, the wise man knows when it's time to "slip the cable".
Don't try this at home though even if (after "partying") you think you're one of those wise men now.
February 18, 2017
The sequel to Tao of Seneca volume 1, part 2 is focused a lot more on the shortness of life. The letters are much longer, some lasting an hour or so.
The first one was full of easily digestible letters that were 5-10 mins long. I incorporated volume 2 into my routine the same way I did vol 1, but it took me longer to get through this one as I felt myself waiting until I had more time rather than listening every day.
If you like the stoic philosophy or are interested in the detailed life of someone from an ancient time, it's worth it.
I find listening to this audiobook is a great grounding tool. There are some sections that feel like rambling, but the majority of it is worth a listen.
I've purchased volume 3 and I am going to start it right away.
The first one was full of easily digestible letters that were 5-10 mins long. I incorporated volume 2 into my routine the same way I did vol 1, but it took me longer to get through this one as I felt myself waiting until I had more time rather than listening every day.
If you like the stoic philosophy or are interested in the detailed life of someone from an ancient time, it's worth it.
I find listening to this audiobook is a great grounding tool. There are some sections that feel like rambling, but the majority of it is worth a listen.
I've purchased volume 3 and I am going to start it right away.
November 25, 2017
I loved Volume 1. But not this one. Almost all of the letters felt too long and filled with principles I couldn't grasp. The only reason I'm giving it two stars and not just one thanks to the letters 72, 78, 80, 83, 85 and 91. Gold!
April 15, 2016
Whereas the earlier letters focused on living a good life, these define virtue and the role of philosophy in teaching it. They're much more dry.
January 1, 2019
Pretty awesome, like everything by Seneca.
July 20, 2021
In the second part of the letters of Seneca the letters become a lot more theoretical and thus longer. The contents is still very good but you have to read much more attentively.
April 20, 2017
'What madness is it, to be expecting evil before it comes'
A little darker than Volume 1, The 2nd book in the trilogy focuses more on the briefness of life yet continues to inspire a fresh approach to what we accept to be the status quo.
A little darker than Volume 1, The 2nd book in the trilogy focuses more on the briefness of life yet continues to inspire a fresh approach to what we accept to be the status quo.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews