I've recently been semi-randomly stumbling upon the philosophy of Stoicism, and so decided to check out Marcus Aurelius', I heard about this title after listening to Jim Mattis discuss how he was influenced by the book on the show Sunday morning. About The Essential Marcus Aurelius. Jan 10, 2008 This is my second time reading this. I decided I had better reread the philosopher-emperor and I happened on this at the local library. ". I gave it 3 stars the first time, but now I have a better understanding of Stoicism and the ability to apply its concepts, so I can see that it deserves 5. I rushed through this in two weeks, as it was required to be read in that time span for the course I was taking. His reign also had to deal with an internal revolt in the east, led by Avidius Cassius. It must have been rough to have had all the advantages of being.

It was an interesting read and reminded me of other books like Seat of the Soul and Buddhist principles. It must have been rough to have had all the advantages of being an emperor but never being able to enjoy it.

Strongly recommend this modern-day translation of Meditations. After reading this for the second time, I've been been more successful in applying Stoicism to my life than ever before. I think I need to study this philosophy a lot more to truly understand it. To the sacred, so that you welcome what has been given to you, for Nature has brought this to you, and you to it; and to justice, in order that you may speak the truth freely and without distortion, and that you may act in accordance with what is lawful and right. “If something is difficult for you to accomplish, do not then think it impossible for any human being; rather, if it is humanly possible and corresponds to human nature, know that it is attainable by you as well.”, “What an abundance of leisure the person gains who is not looking over at what his neighbor is saying, doing, or thinking, but only at what he himself is doing, in order that he does what is just and respectful of the gods. He was the last of the "Five Good Emperors", and is also considered one of the more important Stoic philosophers. This is one of the best self-help books I've read. A good introduction to Marc Aurels Meditations imho. If I were better with schedules and willpower and such, I'd commit to reading it annually on my birthday -- the way better men than I claim to read Ulysses or Brothers Karamazov on theirs. Buy, Jan 10, 2008 I'm going to re-read this book, but take it a very slow pace, perhaps even just an aphorism a day to really give myself time to absorb and enjoy this great philosophical treasure. But a blazing fire quickly assimilates to itself whatever is cast upon it, engulfing it as fuel and rising even higher because of it.”, “The goal that you hope you will one day arrive at after a long and roundabout journey you are able to possess right now, if only you do not deny it to yourself. So if you are suffering you have the ability to take the value away from that occurrence and end the suffering.

I found myself doggy-earing (yes, I do that) many pages.
No other life is more appropriate for the practice of philosophy than that life which you now happen to be living. The four stars come from the content, which is Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius' meditations on life -- in fact, the title of this book is usually "Meditations."

This is the kind of book that you'll want to read daily, then re-read monthly or yearly. This edition seems well executed in translation, readability, and introductory context. It was by far the best reading of the quarter.

Has the market devastated your 401(k)? Whatever the setback, Marcus Aurelius will get you through it. "What could be clearer? This translation definitely helped my understanding on some of the paragraphs. Jacob Needleman and John P. Piazza made it much easier to digest than George Long's version (not that I won't go back and revisit Long's). What then could possibly guide us? His private meditations on what constitutes a good life have withstood the centuries and reach us today with the same penetrating clarity and shining light as the words of Shakespeare, Emerson, or Thoreau. This edition seems well executed in translation, readability, and introductory context. When one is dealing with a writer who really only has two known works–namely his Meditations and the far lesser correspondence he kept up with one of his old instructors, Fronto, it is rather telling and unfortunate that this book only focuses on Aurelius’ fragmentary meditations even though the editors themselves say that the reader would be remiss to miss reading his correspondence as well, a task that would have been much easier had the editors included any of the more important passages from those letters as part of the “essential” writings of a thoughtful Roman emperor, which would have been an easy thing to do. Accessible to anyone, and I mean absolutely anyone.
Start by marking “The Essential Marcus Aurelius” as Want to Read: Error rating book.

He was faced with a series of invasions from German tribes, and by conflicts with the Parthian Empire in the east.

", You know how it is when a musician who only had an album or two of material starts to look less impressive than otherwise when one has an essential greatest hits collection that makes a sketchy career look even sketchier? In this remarkable new translation, bestselling religious philosopher Jacob Needleman and classics scholar John P. Piazza have retained the depth of Marcus’s perspective on life. See if the mind will allow such a thought.”, “Receive without conceit; release without a struggle.”. His private meditations on what constitutes a good life have withstood the centuries and reach us today with the same penetrating clarity and shining light as the words of Shakespeare, Emerson, or Thoreau. Perhaps the central message from Aurelius is that we are all part of the human experience and for such a short time. Refresh and try again. There are no discussion topics on this book yet. There were several ideas that made me stop and think, or that I made note of as worth coming back to. And really, it isn't. There are so many morsels of wisdom and knowledge in here that it is just too much for one sitting. There were a lot of others that weren't so inspiring.

This inaugural-and all new-Tarcher Cornerstone Edition presents a stunningly relevant and reliable translation of the thoughts and aphorisms of the Stoic philosopher and Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, properly placing the philosopher-king’s writings within the vein of the world’s great religious and ethical traditions. He was faced with a series of invasions from German tribes, and by conflicts with the Par. Came across it again on iPad iBooks and dove back it. His two decades as … Ever lose a loved one? But the person who has Intelligence understands the good to be in his own actions.”, “Turn your attention within, for the fountain of all that is good lies within, and it is always ready to pour forth, if you continually delve in.”, “Each thing has come into existence for a specific purpose, like a horse or a grapevine. Editor's Picks: Science Fiction & Fantasy, An Intelligent Person’s Guide to Philosophy, Division III of Heidegger’s Being and Time, A Philosophical Enquiry into the Sublime and Beautiful, Basic Teachings of the Great Philosophers, Discover Book Picks from the CEO of Penguin Random House US. I think in The Sparrow one gets a little of the life of trials and tribulations of the philosopher in a couple of the characters. Aurelius is widely regarded as the greatest Stoic philosopher, and I'd say he deserves that title, because he really guides you in how to handle stressful situations like he had as an emperor. Anyway: good lessons in here, some Oprah-style short. This was a fantastic read. Of all the words I thought I was going to choose to describe this book, I didn't think 'adorable' would be one of them. Meditations is a series of personal writings by Marcus Aurelius, Roman Emperor from 161 to 180 AD, recording his private notes to himself and ideas on Stoic philosophy.

Aurelius also dis, I heard about this title after listening to Jim Mattis discuss how he was influenced by the book on the show Sunday morning. Aurelius is widely regarded as the greatest Stoic philosopher, and I'd say he deserves that title, because he really guides you in how to handle stressful situations like he had as an emperor. Refresh and try again. "I am also thankful that, once I. By clicking Sign Up, I acknowledge that I have read and agree to Penguin Random House's Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Depressing and repetitive, but useful and practical. The introduction gives a history of the Stoic philosophy and a history of Marcus Aurelius. The essential Marcus Aurelius. But Jacob Needleman and John Piazza have, for some reason, decided to eliminate much of the content of the original work, apparently in an effort to make it clearer and easier for 21st century readers. Its a coffee counter book. Marcus Aurelius' vivacity, wisdom and wit is every bit as relevant today as when he wrote this nearly two millennium ago.

Aurelius certainly was an interesting character: truly a philosopher king. We need to interact with others and better ourselves, yet the converse is more common. A very readable new translation and excellent selection of Marcus Aurelius's writings.

I would recommend it to anyone, man or woman, but it does suit a man a bit better in some cases. Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus (often referred to as "the wise") was Emperor of the Roman Empire from 161 to his death in 180.