Art of Living: The Classical Manual on Virtue, Happiness, and Effectiveness Paperback – June 26, 2007

Sharon Lebell writes an accessible handbook for today's seeker of wisdom, imparted long ago by the stoic Epictetus, who was the teacher of Marcus Aurelius. In this book, The Art of Living, the reader will find short chapters with subject headings which may be read in no particular order. Lebell, though scholarly, writes in a straightforward style making her book the one you want to keep at your bedside to consult over and over. Epictetus's teachings in Lebell's version are instructive and comforting. Highly recommended for those seeking instruction in stoic philosophy and practical guidance in a hectic world.

I love this book. I think that with how miserably unhappy people are becoming in today's word that Epictetus should he required reading for all public school students. This man was a slave and wrote the fundamental guide on how to be happy. He also went on to educate people like Marcus Aurelius. If a greek slave can accomplish these things just imagine what you can do! Quit reading this review and buy the book. Read it. Get your kids to read it. Talk about it. There is no time like the present to take control of the things within your power and let go of everything else that's outside your control.

I give the translation 5 stars. Her extra commentary is 1 star, so I’m really giving the benefit of the doubt here in 4 stars total.She has an entire chapter commentary being amazed at learning something from a dead white male.The fact that this is mind blowing to her is shocking. Is the world really so pc that we find it amazing that a dead white male might offer an opinion of value? Lunacy.

This is an easy review - FANTASTIC modern translation - done just right. I have given away two copies (paperback) of this book to those I thought could benefit from the classic Stoic text. I then bought back a Kindle copy and a Hardcover for myself. I will likely buy more paperbacks for friends and family.The author has done such a beautiful job of making the classic text more approachable, memorable, and easy to apply to our lives. I have probably at least eight translations free from the web, but in English they always a bit of a struggle and I tend to put them down prematurely....and quickly forget what I read and therefore do not apply the wisdom to my own life.Being a student of Roman Stoics and buying and reading many if not all of them to my knowledge (including Seneca) I believe there are three masterworks.---(1) That One Should Disdain Hardships (aka Lectures and Sayings) by Musonius Rufus (translated by C.E. Lutz, also well done by C. King and W. Irvine)---(2) Enchiridion by Epictetus (best modern translation by S. Lebell, she has done such a good job)---(3) Meditations by Marcus Aurelius (best modern translation by Gregory Hays - by far the best!)Rufus (Philosopher) directly taught Epictetus (Slave and Philosopher) who in turn heavily influenced Aurelius (Orphan, Emperor, and Philosopher). IMHO, and I have read a lot, Seneca is not in the same league as these three. Just my opinion. I have read countless translations of the Enchiridion and Meditations and highly recommend the two I noted above. Really there are only two for Rufus and you should likely get both by Lutz and by King & Irvine.Cheers!

This book was a joyful read that keeps your attention from one statement to the next. The overall use and practicality of the book is well worth the time.

One of my favorite books-living life on life's terms

I basically agree with the review below which was critical of this work as watered down epictetus. I still believe however that this work provides an excellent introduction to the ideas of epictetus in particular and stoicism in general. If this is your only exposure to stoicism, I would worry that you might conclude that this is a warm and fuzzy, feel-good philosophy rather than an extremely tough form of mental discipline where if successful you can expect to live out your life free from suffering and maybe more importantly free from the fear of suffering. Epictetus was not a new age guru but a slave of the roman empire who ended up being the teacher of that other great stoic, the emperor Marcus Aurelius ( see Gladiator movie). The fact that the slave and the emperor both choose to live their lives by the tenants of this philosophy is a more powerful recommendation than anything I could add. I was already familiar with the "Discourses of Epictetus" so I was not really bothered by the shortcomings of "the art of Living" and I have to admit that reading the discourses is quite a slog (it is basically the lecture notes of one of his students). I have given copies of the "discourses" to friends and they went unread while over the last year I have given 10 copies of "The art of living" to friends in distress and they were all read. If you find this philosophy intriguing after this introduction you can move on to the Discourses ( I'd recommend the Long translation - best of a bad lot ) and then the "Confessions of Marcus Aurelius" and "the moral essays of Seneca". "Virtue is necessary and sufficent for a good life" - a radical idea to live by in this cesspool of self-indugence that passes for the good life in 21th century America.

Exactly what you see