Philosophy Reader

This is a comprehensive overview of the great works that have come down to us from antiquity. I have gathered the best sources and provided clear descriptions to allow readers to comfortably navigate these cultural riches. Philosophy is a critical component of the Classics, the basis of modern Western thinking was established by Plato in the 4th century BC when he wrote of his teacher Socrates, the man who established the core concepts of rational morality. In antiquity, Plato was accepted as an authority on all matters with the same respect as shown to the Judaic Bible and the Christian ...

Step into the woods with a version of Walden that speaks directly to twenty-first-century readers. This refreshed edition keeps Henry David Thoreau's insights intact while offering clean, reader-friendly formatting, contemporary typography, and lightly clarified language that smooths out archaic phrasing without diluting meaning. Whether you're new to Thoreau or revisiting him after many years, this modernized text makes his reflections on solitude, simplicity, and purpose more accessible, engaging, and enjoyable than ever before. First published in the mid-nineteenth century, Walden ...

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. Marcus Aurelius wrote the 12 books of the Meditations as a source for his own guidance and self-improvement. These books have been carefully adapted into modern English form to allow for easy listening. Enjoy!

The Red Book, published to wide acclaim in 2009, contains the nucleus of C. G. Jung's later works. It was here that he developed his principal theories of the archetypes, the collective unconscious, and the process of individuation that would transform psychotherapy from treatment of the sick into a means for the higher development of the personality.

A Timeless Classic - Reimagined for the Modern Mind The Kybalion Reimagined offers a bold new way to experience Hermetic philosophy. Instead of a word-for-word reproduction, this edition faithfully translates the essential ideas of the original text into clear, powerful language—drawing on modern metaphor, scientific parallels, and psychological insight to make the ancient wisdom fully alive and usable today. There are many editions of The Kybalion available. This one stands apart: it is not a commentary, nor an untouched reprint, but a true re-expression—designed to preserve the spirit...

Once solely the province of ivory-tower professors and college classrooms, contemporary philosophy was finally emancipated from its academic closet in 2010, when "The Stone" was launched in The New York Times. First appearing as an online series, the column quickly attracted millions of readers through its accessible examination of universal topics like the nature of science, consciousness, and morality while also probing more contemporary issues such as the morality of drones, gun control, and the gender divide.

De Brevitate Vitae (frequently referred to as On the Shortness of Life in English) is a moral essay written by Seneca the Younger, a Roman Stoic philosopher, to his father-in-law Paulinus. The philosopher brings up many Stoic principles on the nature of time, namely that men waste much of it in meaningless pursuits. According to the essay, nature gives man enough time to do what is really important and the individual must allot it properly.

This collection, read by Audie award-winning narrators, includes unabridged recordings of 11 of the most renowned, widely-read, and essential philosophical works from Ancient Greece and Asia to 19th century America, including Meditations, The Republic, and more.

An essential introduction to the history, concepts, and thinking behind philosophy that demystifies what can often be daunting subject matter, laid out in DK's signature style. Are the ideas of René Descartes, Mary Wollstonecraft, John Locke, and Thomas Hobbes still relevant today? The...

The Living Gita is a translation of, and commentary on, the Bhagavad Gita by Sri Swami Satchidananda, one of the world’s most respected Yoga masters. The Gita is the summary and essence of Eastern spiritual wisdom, drawn from the Hindu tradition. When Swami Satchidananda arrived in the West in 1966, he recognized the need to make the teachings of Yoga and this classic text accessible to modern readers and listeners. He soon began giving talks on the Gita, which became the foundation for The Living Gita, first published in 1988.

In his essay On Anger, the Roman Stoic thinker Seneca argues that anger is the most destructive passion. This splendid new translation of essential selections from On Anger, presented with an enlightening introduction, offers listeners a timeless guide to avoiding and managing anger. Drawing on his great arsenal of rhetoric, including historical examples, anecdotes, quips, and soaring flights of eloquence, Seneca builds his case against anger with mounting intensity.

Artificial Intelligence did not come out of nowhere. To the public, AI seemed to arrive overnight—suddenly writing, speaking, creating, predicting, and deciding. But behind that moment lies a long, often forgotten history of ideas, failures, and quiet breakthroughs stretching back centuries. This Book tells the true story of Artificial Intelligence—not as hype, prophecy, or science fiction, but as a deeply human project shaped by ambition, error, patience, and power. Written for general readers, students, and policymakers, this book answers the questions everyone is asking: What is ...

The Enchiridion or Manual of Epictetus (Enchiridion is Greek for "that which is held in the hand") is a short manual of Stoic ethical advice. This manual has been carefully adapted in to modern English to allow for easy listening. Enjoy.

This is a collection of 14 essays on a variety of occult-themed topics, covering the full spectrum of classic occultism and related subjects, but with a focus on the western mystery tradition within esotericism. The topics include Hermeticism, Ceremonial Magic, the Kabbalah, Ancient Wisdom and Philosophy, Rosicrucianism, Freemasonry and Mysticism, by some of the most notable and prominent names in the history of those subjects.

In a world where social media, online relationships, and relentless self-absorption threaten the very idea of deep and lasting friendships, the search for true friends is more important than ever. In this short book, famous Roman politician and philosopher Cicero offers a compelling guide to finding, keeping, and appreciating friends. With wit and wisdom, Cicero teaches not only how to build friendships but also why they must be a key part of our lives. For, as Cicero says, life without friends is not worth living.

Letters from a Stoic is collection of 124 letters which were written by Seneca at the end of his life, during his retirement, and written after he had worked for the Emperor Nero for 15 years. They are addressed to Lucilius, the then procurator of Sicily. The letters highlight many moral and ethical ways to live, and address many of the issues known to man, about life and death. Each letter has been carefully adapted into modern English to allow for easy listening and understanding. This is the complete volume containing all 124 letters. Enjoy!

Worried that old age will inevitably mean losing your libido, your health, and possibly your marbles too? Well, Cicero has some good news for you. In How to Grow Old, the great Roman orator and statesman eloquently describes how you can make the second half of life the best part of all - and why you might discover that reading and gardening are actually far more pleasurable than sex ever was.

Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics is one of the greatest guides to human flourishing ever written, but its length and style have left many readers languishing. How to Flourish is a colloquial new translation by Susan Sauve Meyer that makes Aristotle's timeless insights about how to lead a good life more engaging and accessible than ever before.

"It takes an entire lifetime to learn how to die", wrote the Roman Stoic philosopher Seneca (c. 4 BC-65 AD). He counseled readers to "study death always", and took his own advice, returning to the subject again and again in all his writings, yet he never treated it in a complete work. How to Die gathers in one volume, for the first time, Seneca's remarkable meditations on death and dying. Edited and translated by James S. Romm, How to Die reveals a provocative thinker who speaks with a startling frankness about the need to accept death or even, under certain conditions, to seek it out.

Would you like to discover, together with your kids, the secrets to smart economical choices in life? Ask Aiden the brave sailor. When his boat sinks off the shores of a distant kingdom, Aiden is captured by the guard and becomes the king's prisoner. The kingdom is going through difficult economic times, and the king is left helpless. Will Aiden's economic advice help the king to save his kingdom? Will Aiden win his freedom back? A must-have intriguing tale for children and their parents that will explain how simple economics really works.