A Guide to the Good Life by William B. Irvine

The ultimate Stoic guide to living a good life, based on psychological techniques and advice for practicing the ancient art of Stoic joy.

Summary

A Guide to the Good Life does exactly what Irvine promises: it provides a step-by-step guide to the most famous and effective Stoic practices. The introduction explains how Stoicism entered Irvine’s life and how he adopted it as his personal philosophy. From this discovery, he set out to provide the reader with a clear overview of Stoic practices and advice.

The book begins with an insightful introduction to the basics and background of the philosophy. It looks at the early Stoics and those who followed in the Roman period. The second and third parts form the essence of the guide. In part two, Irvine lays out five Stoic psychological techniques. He explains why they matter and how they can be applied to life.

Part three is full of advice on how to achieve the good life from both an individual and a social perspective. With topics such as anger, duty, and social relations, Irvine covers the major obstacles the Stoics identified as barriers to a calm and peaceful life. Part four brings this ancient philosophy into the present, showing its relevance to our modern world.

Review

A Guide to the Good Life is one of the best books on Stoicism. It is also among the first contemporary works to show its benefits in an easy-to-understand way. For all that it covers, the book is concise and avoids academic jargon or overly complex explanations.

It doesn’t simply copy the way the ancient Stoics approached philosophy; Irvine also adds his own interpretations. For example, he expands the classic dichotomy of control into a trichotomy. With its sharp insights and modern takes on Stoicism, A Guide to the Good Life has earned its place on the bookshelf of every modern student of Stoicism.

Recommendation

A Guide to the Good Life is the perfect book for anyone starting their philosophical or Stoic journey. Whether as a path to practicing Stoicism or as a way to expand one’s personal philosophy of life, the clear structure and explanations in this book will serve both kinds of readers well.

It is listed in the Stoic Reading List for Beginners as an honourable mention. This is because it doesn’t directly connect to one of the source texts. Yet it stands right alongside How to Be a Stoic by Massimo Pigliucci and How to Think Like a Roman Emperor by Donald Robertson.

Final thoughts

William Irvine’s book remains one of my favorite works on Stoicism. Especially since it was one of the first ones I read. It offered practices and advice at a time when I needed them most. Hopefully, it will offer you the same.

You can find more book reviews on this page: Stoic Book Reviews. Or watch our Via Stoica Podcast episode on what Stoic books to read here. You can listen to the Via Stoica Podcast on Spotify or on Apple Podcasts.