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Ancient Wisdom: Stoic Lessons for Self-Mastery
Frederick the Great, George Washington, Theodore Roosevelt, and many of today's most notable leaders, intellectuals, and high achievers learned to embrace the wisdom of the ancient Stoics as they sought to live happy, successful, and productive lives.
This book uniquely combines insights from Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, Epictetus and other Stoic philosophers with the author's interpretations, musings, and life-time of experiences and lessons learned. The result is an easy-to-read book containing timeless wisdom and empowering advice that can help readers learn how to dramatically alter and control their emotional responses to life's inevitable challenges and obstacles.
This book uniquely combines insights from Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, Epictetus and other Stoic philosophers with the author's interpretations, musings, and life-time of experiences and lessons learned. The result is an easy-to-read book containing timeless wisdom and empowering advice that can help readers learn how to dramatically alter and control their emotional responses to life's inevitable challenges and obstacles.
224 pages, Hardcover
Published October 22, 2021
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
December 10, 2021
Are you Smart, Average, or Stupid?
I just finished reading Mike Ettore's latest book, Ancient Wisdom: Stoic Lessons for Self-Mastery. When I got the book, I mistakenly thought I would likely give it an initial glance and then read it in fits and starts over the next several weeks amid all my other projects. I was so wrong. Instead of that leisurely approach I found myself pushing through the book, reading the whole thing in one day, while taking notes. Yes, I take notes on books I am reading when they are thought provoking.
If you have only heard of Stoicism, but never delved into it, like me, this book will give you a wonderful crash course in its principles and practices. If you are a religious person, like me, you may be automatically biased against anything that smacks of the navel-gazing, or angels on the head of a pin that seem to be hallmarks of philosophical maunderings. Imagine my surprise when I found point after Stoic point already firmly embedded in my own approach to life.
The purpose of the book, as stated by the author, is to “help readers learn how to… control their emotional responses to life’s inevitable challenges and obstacles.” The first obstacle this book faces in gaining a broad audience is the misconceptions many have about stoicism, such as those I had. The second obstacle is the current cultural hubris that there is nothing to be learned from dead, white, men (DWM). Greek and Roman philosophers from the second century AD are about as DWM as you can get. Any open-minded reader will realize that, just like Mike, there is a lot to be learned from those who have come before us. Or, to quote Socrates, "Smart people learn from everything and everyone, average people from their experiences, stupid people already have the answers."
I strongly recommend this book.
I just finished reading Mike Ettore's latest book, Ancient Wisdom: Stoic Lessons for Self-Mastery. When I got the book, I mistakenly thought I would likely give it an initial glance and then read it in fits and starts over the next several weeks amid all my other projects. I was so wrong. Instead of that leisurely approach I found myself pushing through the book, reading the whole thing in one day, while taking notes. Yes, I take notes on books I am reading when they are thought provoking.
If you have only heard of Stoicism, but never delved into it, like me, this book will give you a wonderful crash course in its principles and practices. If you are a religious person, like me, you may be automatically biased against anything that smacks of the navel-gazing, or angels on the head of a pin that seem to be hallmarks of philosophical maunderings. Imagine my surprise when I found point after Stoic point already firmly embedded in my own approach to life.
The purpose of the book, as stated by the author, is to “help readers learn how to… control their emotional responses to life’s inevitable challenges and obstacles.” The first obstacle this book faces in gaining a broad audience is the misconceptions many have about stoicism, such as those I had. The second obstacle is the current cultural hubris that there is nothing to be learned from dead, white, men (DWM). Greek and Roman philosophers from the second century AD are about as DWM as you can get. Any open-minded reader will realize that, just like Mike, there is a lot to be learned from those who have come before us. Or, to quote Socrates, "Smart people learn from everything and everyone, average people from their experiences, stupid people already have the answers."
I strongly recommend this book.
Displaying 1 of 1 review