In one of the podcasts hosted by Tim Ferriss, he interviewed Alain de Botton. de Botton is a writer-philosopher. He makes the subject accessible to lesser mortals like me (I hardly understood anything from the little I had read so far). de Botton's book, Consolations of Philosophy is quite a light take on philosophy. It takes us quickly through the lives and ideas of six philosophers. The highlight of the book is its relevance to mundane life without sacrificing depth. de Botton's enterprising commentary is interspersed with quotes by the six immortal thinkers.
The book touches upon the valleys of life - frustrations, inadequacies, difficulties, love failure, poverty and unpopularity. It makes the reader think. Solutions offered by the book are not set in stone, as the author mixes it up through contributions from different directions. I did not enjoy some of Schopenhauer's ideas but did not have to wait long as Nietsche's embrace of struggles made me feel at home. Philosopher's thoughts seem quirky at times, like the connection between intellect and tolerance for noise, and worse when it relates to the length of sleep. One of the six great men has excellent advice on education and on the kind of books one should read, the latter an eye-opener for a parent (guess who) who likes to choose books for his offspring.
de Botton travels treacherously close to preachiness at times, especially when he tries to bang in the most significant ideas.
Fair to have a favourite among the six, the heart-touching account of Socrates and impressive ideas from Seneca come to mind. But for me, Nietzsche is the winner, because he embraces life in all its pitfalls.
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