How to Live Like a Stoic: A Handbook for Happiness
Feb 2026 · Bloomsbury Publishing
Ebook
224
Pages
About this ebook
'The inestimable Tom Hodgkinson once again contributes to our collective calm with this perfectly judged collection of philosophy.' Emma Thompson
'A great guide to philosophy and big ideas... it made me laugh out loud.' Dominic West
'Illuminating, engaging, informative and highly accessible' Irvine Welsh
There's more to Stoicism than shrugging your shoulders and getting on with it, as Tom Hodgkinson discovers in this witty and enlightening book.
Stoicism is an enduring and ancient philosophy that can help you with everything from love and politics to money and spirituality. The Stoics were celebrated by the Romans, they influenced Christianity and even Shakespeare admired them. Today, both therapists and politicians will profess adherence to the Stoic creed. The serenity prayer is a Stoic statement. The Beatles' Let it Be is a Stoic song.
Tom Hodgkinson, author of bestselling How to Be Idle, goes back to the original philosophical texts and looks at the greatest Stoics in history including Seneca, Cicero, Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius and St Augustine to see if they can help us find fulfilment. He discovers that Stoicism is much stranger and more radical than you'd think.
With witty reflections on everything from ethics, grammar, rhetoric, education, friendship and the importance of occasionally letting your hair down, Tom Hodgkinson shares his genuinely funny and brilliant guide to the Stoic life.
'A great guide to philosophy and big ideas... it made me laugh out loud.' Dominic West
'Illuminating, engaging, informative and highly accessible' Irvine Welsh
There's more to Stoicism than shrugging your shoulders and getting on with it, as Tom Hodgkinson discovers in this witty and enlightening book.
Stoicism is an enduring and ancient philosophy that can help you with everything from love and politics to money and spirituality. The Stoics were celebrated by the Romans, they influenced Christianity and even Shakespeare admired them. Today, both therapists and politicians will profess adherence to the Stoic creed. The serenity prayer is a Stoic statement. The Beatles' Let it Be is a Stoic song.
Tom Hodgkinson, author of bestselling How to Be Idle, goes back to the original philosophical texts and looks at the greatest Stoics in history including Seneca, Cicero, Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius and St Augustine to see if they can help us find fulfilment. He discovers that Stoicism is much stranger and more radical than you'd think.
With witty reflections on everything from ethics, grammar, rhetoric, education, friendship and the importance of occasionally letting your hair down, Tom Hodgkinson shares his genuinely funny and brilliant guide to the Stoic life.
'The inestimable Tom Hodgkinson once again contributes to our collective calm with this perfectly judged collection of philosophy.' Emma Thompson
'A great guide to philosophy and big ideas... it made me laugh out loud.' Dominic West
'Illuminating, engaging, informative and highly accessible' Ir...
About the author
Tom Hodgkinson is a British writer and the co-founder and editor of the Idler magazine, which publishes on a bi-monthly basis. The Idler company also produces online courses and runs live events. Tom is also the author of the bestselling How to be Idle (2005), How to be Free (2006) and The Idle Parent (2010).
Tom Hodgkinson is a British writer and the co-founder and editor of the Idler magazine, which publishes on a bi-monthly basis. The Idler company also produces online courses and runs live events. Tom is also the author of the bestselling How to be Idle (2005), How to be Free (2006) and The Idle P...
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