Plato's podcasts : the ancients' guide to modern living

Description

Do you ever get the feeling that something went wrong? What with credit crunches, the war on terror, and unemployment, it is natural to hark back to less complicated times. In this witty and inspiring book, Mark Vernon does just that. However, he doesn’t just look back to the 1980s – try 400BC! Filled with timeless insight into life, relationships, work and partying, Plato's Podcasts takes a sideways glance at modern living and presents the would-be thoughts of Ancient Philosophers on various topics central to our 21st century existence. With a zany cast of characters – from the Gymnosophists (the naked philosophers) to Diogenes, who lived in a barrel – this is a humorous but enlightening manual to living well today (and two thousand years ago). Mark Vernon is a writer, journalist, broadcaster, academic, and former priest. Author of numerous books including Wellbeing and What Not to Say, he is an Honorary Research Fellow at Birkbeck College, University of London, UK, and a frequent contributor for BBC radio and the BBC webportal. Content: Cover Title Copyright Contents Acknowledgements Illustrations Introduction 1 Pythagoras and the search for meaning 2 Sappho and the art of paying attention 3 Plato and a love of conversation 4 Diogenes the Cynic on the deceptiveness of fame 5 Diotima of Mantinea on sometimes not having sex 6 Aristotle on surviving unpopularity 7 Pyrrho of Elis on suspending disbelief 8 Epicurus on why less is more 9 Zeno of Citium on the psychology of shopping 10 Aristippus the Cyrenaic and a common misunderstanding about pleasure 11 Onesicritus hears the call to live more simply. 12 Cleanthes the Water-Carrier on working so hard you miss what you want13 Hipparchia of Maroneia on marrying for love 14 Bion of Borysthenes and the wisdom of changing your mind 15 Menippus of Gadara on the seriousness of laughing 16 Marcus Manilius on the exercise of free will 17 Secundus the Silent on the dangers of travel 18 Sextus Empiricus and the folly of food fads 19 Hypatia of Alexandria on living in times of violence 20 Socrates and being towards death Index.