The Great Guide

What David Hume Can Teach Us About Being Human and Living Well

By: Julian Baggini

Narrated by: David Rintoul

This audiobook narrated by David Rintoul shares invaluable wisdom on living a good life from one of the Enlightenment's greatest philosophers

David Hume (1711-1776) is perhaps best known for his ideas about cause and effect and his criticisms of religion, but he is rarely thought of as a philosopher with practical wisdom to offer. Yet Hume's philosophy is grounded in an honest assessment of nature - human nature in particular. The Great Guide is an engaging and eye-opening account of how Hume's thought should serve as the basis for a complete approach to life.

In this enthralling book, Julian Baggini masterfully interweaves biography with intellectual history and philosophy to give us a complete vision of Hume's guide to life. He follows Hume on his life's journey, literally walking in the great philosopher's footsteps as Baggini takes listeners to the places that inspired Hume the most, from his family estate near the Scottish border to Paris, where, as an older man, he was warmly embraced by French society. Baggini shows how Hume put his philosophy into practice in a life that blended reason and passion, study and leisure, and relaxation and enjoyment.

The Great Guide includes 145 Humean maxims for living well, on topics ranging from the meaning of success and the value of travel to friendship, facing death, identity, and the importance of leisure. This book shows how life is far richer with Hume as your guide.

©2021 Julian Baggini (P)2021 Princeton University Press

Critic reviews

"This unique book is filled with useful maxims for everyday life, illuminating Hume's world while also adding a contemporary touch. Baggini's intermingling of life and philosophy, both past and present, makes for an engaging read." (Angela M. Coventry, author of Hume: A Guide for the Perplexed)

"In this well-written and accessible book, Baggini shows how Hume’s life illustrates and accords with his philosophical standpoints, deftly navigating a good many of the central themes of Hume's work." (Simon Blackburn, author of What Do We Really Know? The Big Questions of Philosophy)

A Worthy Book

This is a worthy book about a worthy man and his thoughts and work. The point of the book is to provide the reader with an overview of the works of David Hume that emphasize his many thoughtful guides to living a good life that they include. This emphasis is to counter-balance the idea that Hume’s work is only epistemology and ontology.

The author does an excellent job of providing his desired overview of Hume’s work. Though to me it seemed more of a light biography than the analysis of Hume’s work that I expected.

Regardless, The Great Guide does archive it’s goal, is approachable, and pleasant. And, repeating how I began this review, it is a worthy book that I highly recommend. The voice talent did an excellent job in his performance.

Personally, I am pleased with everything about this audiobook.