Every Time I Find the Meaning of Life, They Change It: Wisdom of the Great Philosophers on How to Live - Hardcover

Klein, Daniel

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1780747853 ISBN 13: 9781780747859

Publisher: Oneworld Publications, 2015

Synopsis

“Every time I find the meaning of life, they change it.” The words of Reinhold Niebuhr provide the title and set the tone for what is a wryly humorous look at some of the great philosophical pronouncements on how life ought to be lived.

Fifty years ago Daniel Klein embarked on the study of philosophy at Harvard, where he began gathering wise words from the world's greatest thinkers. Now in his seventies, he revisits these pronouncements with characteristic warmth, charm and wonderfully dry sense of humour. Distilling the wonders of our greatest thinkers, from Epicurus and Nietzsche, all the way to Samuel Beckett, Klein is enlightening and never dull. This is a pithy and eminently readable meditation on one of the most profound subjects there is.

About this title

About the Author

Daniel Klein is the author of the London Times bestseller Travels with Epicurus and, with Thomas Cathcart, the New York Times and international bestseller Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar . . . . A graduate of Harvard in philosophy, he lives in Western Massachusetts with his wife, Freke Vuijst.

Review

Praise for Every Time I Find the Meaning of Life, They Change It

"A refreshingly spontaneous plunge into deep thought." - Booklist

"While philosophy is often seen as no laughing matter, Klein’s book is an argument that it can and should be...It's hard to imagine a better guide." - Matt Staggs, Biographile

"A delightful book that is easily applicable to any stage of life. Even when explaining the underlying theories behind a quote, the author’s writing is understandable for readers who have no prior philosophy background. Yet, philosophy students will also enjoy seeing the discipline applied to everyday life." - Library Journal

“Daniel Klein has now gifted up with a compendium of wisdom – quotes from the world’s greatest philosophers, often with a light touch.” - Ann LaFarge, Hudson Valley News

"This book not only offers a dazzling display of the superlative human thought on issues of human existence but also brings those we are not even consciously aware of into focus." - Business Standard
Praise for Travels with Epicurus

“An insightful meditation.” - The New York Times Book Review

“Along the way, Klein touches on the ideas of Bertrand Russell, Erik Erikson, Aristotle, and William James. Klein's narrative is a delightful and spirited conversation, offering up the ingredients inherent to the art of living well in old age.” – Publisher’s Weekly

“Charming and accessible, this philosophical survey simply and accessibly makes academic philosophy relevant to ordinary human emotion.” – Kirkus Review

“Witty and wry” – Huffington Post

“A lovely little book with both heart and punch.” – Booklist

"A delightful book that is easily applicable to any stage of life. Even when explaining the underlying theories behind a quote, the author’s writing is understandable for readers who have no prior philosophy background. Yet, philosophy students will also enjoy seeing the discipline applied to everyday life." - Laura Hiatt-Smith, Library Journal

“A charming meditation on aging. Daniel Klein takes us on a thought-provoking journey.” – The Weekly Standard Book Review

“Reading this book after a period of overwork and high stress, I was bowled over by its easy charm and hard-won wisdom. I shall be buying it in bulk as presents for my equally overburdened peers, and I suspect a few older people will enjoy it, too.” – Markus Berkmann, The Daily Mail

“If you think philosophy is hard stuff that makes your head spin and possibly hurt, Klein is the perfect guide to deep thinking.  Being fully aware and wondering how best to spend our time are useful practices at any age, and this warm, thought-provoking book is a terrific introduction to thinking about life philosophically.” – Concord Monitor

 

http://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/solving-life-s-mysteries-with-ancient-and-modern-wisdom-book-review-116113000191_1.html

Edition details

• Publisher: Oneworld Publications
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 1780747853
• ISBN 13: 9781780747859
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 224