Book Review-A Guide to the Good Life by William Irvine

I came upon this book in a somewhat unusual manner. I had read How to Be A Stoic by Massimo Pigliucci and he not only referenced Irvine’s book profusely but he recommended that his readers read this book as well. The kudos worked its magic with me and I bought this book on line. I eagerly attacked this book as soon as I finished Pigliucci’s book, and I am very glad that I did.

Irvine’s tone is different than Pigliucci’s not better, not worse, but different. He is more laid back and truly lived up to the Stoic goal of tranquility. The descriptions and arguments has a very tranquil quality to them, even as he discusses difficult questions like dealing with anger, death, grief, et. al. His voice is that of a gentle guide through the various knotty arguments that is so typical of anything philosophical.

The book starts with a good historical background of Stoicism, we meet the philosophers who make up the bulk of what we are about to read, and we are introduced to both the Greek and Roman Stoics. The second part of the book is devoted to the psychological tools used by the Stoics in order to practice Stoicism. This can be considered as teaching the reader to use the tools and to becoming comfortable wielding the weapons of great import.

The third part of the book is devoted to specific topics which have proven to be difficult for people to navigate as they attempt to live a Stoic life.  The aforementioned topics of anger, death, grief, insults, social relations, etc. were covered in short compact chapters detailing the ways a philosopher could approach the discussion and ensuing argument.  This section was a touch pedantic but it was a necessary exercise because it allowed us into the mind of a practicing Stoic and gave us a glimpse of what practicing philosophers do: state problems, formulate arguments and most importantly guide us through his reasoning.

The most impressive and important section of this book to me is the last section: Stoicism for Modern Lives. Three excellent chapters proceed from the description of the fall of Stoicism in the public eye and throughout history, to reasons why we should reconsider Stoicism as a personal philosophy, the meaning of having a personal philosophy, and finally he describes his own journey through making Stoicism his own personal philosophy. The last two chapters made the most impact on me personally as Dr. Irvine drew us into his personal experience and allowed us to look behind the curtain into how he was able to explore Stoicism in his own way. His chapter on reconsidering Stoicism is particularly impactful as he made some very salient arguments for taking the personal journey into investigating the practice. 

Even though I had committed myself to practicing Stoicism on my own, this book made the act seem much less dramatic and much more matter of fact for someone to partake in this most personal of journeys. I am at a beginning stage obviously, but I feel reassured and comfortable in knowing that I can always reach back and gain wisdom from this remarkable book.