Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

This was indeed the book about Stoicism that needed to be written. Stoicism has had a resurgence over the last few years, but as Mr Farnsworth says in the introduction, he prefers to read "the originals" (the Late Roman Stoics--Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius and Seneca--whose writings provide the vast majority of surviving witness to ancient Stoicism), for good reason. In organizing passages of the ancient Stoic authors and their philosophical descendants (e.g., Montaigne and Schopenhauer), he has done us all a service. The Stoics did not write in a systematic way, but now we can read them systematically. Mr Farnsworth has conceived of this book as a syllabus on Stoicism, starting with the foundational concept of "Judgment" (what is up to us and what is not), and progressing through Externals, Desire, Death and other major concepts. The beginner can proceed through the syllabus and gain a thorough, systematic understanding of the ethics of Stoicism (not to mention a life-changing way of thinking!). The seasoned, knowledgeable modern-day Stoic has a reference in which one can remind oneself of what "the originals" thought about a particular topic. A useful, well-written, highly readable book. I've read almost all the modern books written about Stoicism, and I am not exaggerating when I say this is the best one I have read. I am deeply grateful for Mr Farnsworth's contribution to the literature.