| Philosophy -- Miscellanea. |
| Philosophy |
| Travel writing. |
| Weiner, Eric, 1963- -- Travel. |
| Mental philosophy |
Available:
Library | Shelf Number | Shelf Location | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
Searching... East Bridgewater Public Library | 128 WEI 2020 | NONFICTION | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... Foxboro - Boyden Library | 102 WEINER | NONFICTION | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... New Bedford Free Public Library | 102 WEI 2020 | NONFICTION | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
The New York Times bestselling author of The Geography of Bliss embarks on a rollicking intellectual journey, following in the footsteps of history's greatest thinkers and showing us how each--from Epicurus to Gandhi, Thoreau to Beauvoir--offers practical and spiritual lessons for today's unsettled times.
We turn to philosophy for the same reasons we travel: to see the world from a different perspective, to unearth hidden beauty, and to find new ways of being. We want to learn how to embrace wonder. Face regrets. Sustain hope.
Eric Weiner combines his twin passions for philosophy and global travel in a pilgrimage that uncovers surprising life lessons from great thinkers around the world, from Rousseau to Nietzsche, Confucius to Simone Weil. Traveling by train (the most thoughtful mode of transport), he journeys thousands of miles, making stops in Athens, Delhi, Wyoming, Coney Island, Frankfurt, and points in between to reconnect with philosophy's original purpose: teaching us how to lead wiser, more meaningful lives. From Socrates and ancient Athens to Simone de Beauvoir and twentieth-century Paris, Weiner's chosen philosophers and places provide important signposts as we navigate today's chaotic times.
In The Socrates Express , Weiner invites us to voyage alongside him on his life-changing pursuit of wisdom and discovery as he attempts to find answers to our most vital questions.
Reviews (4)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Journalist Weiner (The Geography of Bliss) makes a convincing and winningly presented case for the practical applications of philosophy to everyday existence in the 21st century. With humor and thoughtfulness, he distills the wisdom of thinkers from throughout history--from Confucius, to Socrates, to Rousseau, to Gandhi, to de Beauvoir--into ways to slow down, ask questions, and pay attention. In his cogent exploration of "How to Listen like Schopenhauer," he relates the German philosopher's idea of the dark force of an insatiable "Will" in all living things to the addictive appeal of the internet, and recognizes that today, especially, "we confuse data with information, information with knowledge, and knowledge with wisdom." Meanwhile, in Epicurus, Weiner finds a guide to achieving pleasure in the age of online retail, where "so many tantalizing options lie only a click away," but, as Epicurus himself advised, "not what we have, but what we enjoy constitutes our abundance." Weiner travels physically as well as intellectually around the world, exploring the slower, more reflective transportation methods of traveling by train and walking. His book offers an appealing way to cope with the din of modern life and look at the world with attentive eyes and ears. (May)
Kirkus Review
Passing through middle age and wondering "what matters and what doesn't," a journalist undertakes figurative and literal journeys around the world to learn how philosophy might help answer his question. Not all philosophy is concerned with helping us figure out how to live, but that's the aspect that interests Weiner, the former New York Times reporter and author of The Geography of Bliss and other works. In joining the long line of writers who have heralded philosophy's practical possibilities, he takes a place among the more catholic in taste. Sei Shōnagon, a 10th-century Japanese author and courtesan to the empress, has to be among the more surprising (and welcome) additions to the company of the better-known philosophers of ancient Greece, China, and modernity. Unencumbered by ideology, Weiner is free to find his way to philosophers--a designation, as with Shōnagon, he's happy to apply loosely--who were interested not in the meaning of life but in "leading meaningful lives." Thoreau teaches him how to see; Nietzsche, how to have no regrets; Shōnagon, how to appreciate the small things; and so on. Weiner's challenge in these chapters is to give a sufficient overview of his subject while maintaining a brisk pace and distilling useful instruction. Such a globe-trotting tour of philosophy can only be as good as its guide, and Weiner proves to be a curious, sincere, and generous companion. His good cheer alone serves as a model for how to live, and many readers will appreciate his method of taking what's useful for him and leaving what's not (Plato, Kant, Sartre, to name a few). Each reader will cotton to certain of Weiner's philosophers more than others; the author's example teaches us that this is as it should be. We must all find our own teachers. "The world needs more philosophical enthusiasts," Weiner writes. This book is sure to generate its share. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
At one point in this agreeably rambling consideration of 14 long gone philosophers, author Weiner (The Geography of Genius, 2016; Man Seeks God, 2011) states that philosophers are like teenagers: nobody understands them. This accessible offering may help alleviate that somewhat wry observation. Weiner links each thinker with a common activity to help readers make associations: get out of bed with Marcus Aurelius, be kind with Confucius, grow old with Simone de Beauvoir. He visits each philosopher's home turf, traveling there by train, his optimum mode for thinking and reflecting, and includes mini-travelogues along with brief biographies and general summations of various philosophical texts. Whether he's reporting from Frankfurt (Schopenhauer) or Kyoto (Sei Shonagon), his musings are engaging. And, since he's often reading the material for the first time himself, his writing is also fresh and even revelatory as he pulls together seemingly disparate notions and asks meaningful (and often unanswered) questions. His tone alternates between informative and insightful to cheeky and challenging, and he delights in sharing anecdotes that highlight his subjects' various peccadilloes. Whether steeped in philosophical knowledge or somewhat unfamiliar with the field, most readers will enjoy Weiner's unique approach and ultimately satisfying conclusions.
Library Journal Review
Traveling by train to philosophers' physical terrains, former NPR journalist Weiner (The Geography of Genius) confronts 14 quotidian and existential "how to's"--how to walk, wonder, be kind, be attentive, and grow old and how to die. Along the way, he dispenses warm wisdom drawn from an eclectic set of succinctly put perspectives. The travelog takes readers by rail with Weiner to the spot where Gandhi was assassinated, to search for the Swiss boulder where Nietzsche was struck with the concept of Eternal Recurrence, and to find Confucian kindness riding the subway's F train to New York City's Chinatown. Amid his travels and personal reminiscences, Weiner loops back to Stoic voices: he depicts Marcus Aurelius struggling to get out of bed, joins a "Stoic Camp" in Wyoming to read Epictetus, and finds Stoic resonances in Montaigne and Simone de Beauvoir. VERDICT Weiner offers bubble gum philosophy that provides a quick, sweet taste and occasionally implies that the jaw exercise of chewing on philosophically challenging concepts is not rewarding. Readers seeking travelog will feel shortchanged, but those looking for lite insights will be drawn in gradually from the shallow (getting out of bed and walking) to the deep end (ageing and death).--Steve Young, McHenry Cty. Coll., Crystal Lake, IL