Best for: Former philosophy students, current philosophy students, or anyone interested in looking at happiness from a more philosophical, less how-to perspective. In a nutshell: French philosopher Frederic Lenoir examines what many great thinkers have had to say about how we can be happy in life. Line that sticks with me: “It is essential for us not just o know ourselves, but also to test out our strengths and weaknesses, to correct and improve within us those things that can be changed, but without trying […]
Mmm Hmm
Best for: Philosophy students, maybe? In a nutshell: Philosopher William Irvine looks at the ‘aha’ moments in religion, morality, math, science and art. Line that sticks with me: “More generally, when I cannot give reasons for the moral beliefs I hold, I take it as compelling evidence that I need to take a closer look at those beliefs.” Why I chose it: I needed a little philosophy. Review: I’m not totally sure what this book meant to be. The writing is good, but the overall […]
Art is an incitement to look at our world through another’s eyes
While Alain de Botton’s How Proust Can Change Your Life is nearly twenty years old, the first I heard of it was on a 2015 episode of the Tim Ferriss Podcast. If you’re unfamiliar with Ferriss, he is outwardly a life-hacking blogger and podcaster. However, his deeper drive seems to be helping others live an examined life. I like that, so even though I’m not a life-hacky guy I listen to his show. On that 2015 episode, I found Botton to be especially charming, and I was […]
We are all just dust jackets for books.
This year, I promised myself that I would devote more of my time to reading classics, and reflecting on the books I’ve chosen to read, I’m a little shocked at how many classics I’ve somehow skipped over the years. Fahrenheit 451 is a great example. When do people normally read this, and what was I doing instead? Maybe it’s weird that I never read this book, but, being on a science fiction kick, now seemed as good a time as any. Being perfectly honest, I didn’t […]