A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy by William B. IrvineMy rating: 2 of 5 stars
The stoicism in this book is based on original research and interpretation of its author. He has transformed the ‘orthodox’ stoicism and sugar-coated some of its principles to be more palatable to the modern American audience. For instance he presents stoicism from an evolutionary perspective and not from a philosophical point of view (Zeus, God, First Principle). He admits his maneuver of ‘moving from philosophical justification of stoicism to a scientific justification’.
One star for honesty: “Not everyone, I realize, will be happy with my ‘modernization’ of Stoicism”.
Another star for promoting Stoicism and for courage. At one point in the book he wishes that his government will put him in jail just to test the stoic teachings :) I smiled. God forbid!
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