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Recommendations based on The Consolation of Philosophyby Boethius
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Confessions
by Augustine of Hippo
A spiritual autobiography tracing Augustine's journey from youthful excess to Christian faith.
Augustine's Confessions is one of the most influential and most innovative works of Latin literature. Written in the author's early forties in the last years of the fourth century A.D. and during his ... (Goodreads)
The Republic
by Plato
A philosophical discourse on justice, examining morality, politics, and virtue.
Presented in the form of a dialogue between Socrates and three different interlocutors, this classic text is an enquiry into the notion of a perfect community and the ideal individual within it. ... (Goodreads)
The Nicomachean Ethics
by Aristotle
An exploration of virtue and morality, providing guidance on how to live a good life.
‘One swallow does not make a summer; neither does one day. Similarly neither can one day, or a brief space of time, make a man blessed and happy’ In the Nicomachean Ethics , Aristotle sets out to ... (Goodreads)
Meditations
by Marcus Aurelius
Reflections on Stoic philosophy, exploring the nature of existence and how to live life.
Written in Greek by the only Roman emperor who was also a philosopher, without any intention of publication, the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius offer a remarkable series of challenging spiritual ... (Goodreads)
Orthodoxy
by G.K. Chesterton
An exploration of the spiritual and moral foundations of Christianity.
This book is meant to be a companion to "Heretics," and to put the positive side in addition to the negative. Many critics complained of the book because it merely criticised current philosophies ... (Goodreads)
Phaedo
by Plato
Philosophical dialogue on the nature of death, the immortality of the soul, and the afterlife.
The Phaedo is acknowledged to be one of Plato's masterpieces, showing him both as a philosopher and as a dramatist at the height of his powers. For its moving account of the execution of Socrates, ... (Goodreads)
Pensées
by Blaise Pascal
Reflections on faith, reason and the human condition, presenting a defense of Christianity.
Blaise Pascal, the precociously brilliant contemporary of Descartes, was a gifted mathematician and physicist, but it is his unfinished apologia for the Christian religion upon which his reputation ... (Goodreads)
On the Incarnation
by Athanasius of Alexandria
Theological treatise on the divine nature of Jesus Christ and his role in human salvation.
A universally acknowledged masterpiece of fourth-century patristic theology. As C. S. Lewis observes in his introduction: "When I first opened De Incarnatione I soon discovered by a very simple test ... (Goodreads)
The Seven Storey Mountain
by Thomas Merton
Autobiography of a man's journey from a privileged upbringing to becoming a Trappist monk. A spiritual classic.
One of the most famous books ever written about a man’s search for faith and peace. The Seven Storey Mountain tells of the growing restlessness of a brilliant and passionate young man, who at the age ... (Goodreads)
The Prince
by Niccolò Machiavelli
A timeless political treatise on the art of acquiring and maintaining power.
Machiavelli needs to be looked at as he really was. Hence: Can Machiavelli, who makes the following observations, be Machiavellian as we understand the disparaging term? 1. So it is that to know the ... (Goodreads)
Tao Te Ching
by Lao Tzu
A collection of wise sayings and reflections on the nature of existence.
A lucid translation of the well-known Taoist classic by a leading scholar-now in a Shambhala Pocket Library edition. Written more than two thousand years ago, the Tao Teh Ching , or -The Classic of ... (Goodreads)
Thus Spoke Zarathustra
by Friedrich Nietzsche
A philosophical treatise exploring morality, religion, and the meaning of life.
Story of a Soul: The Autobiography of St. Thérèse of Lisieux
by Thérèse de Lisieux
An intimate look into the life of a saint, reflecting on her spiritual journey.
This book, first published in 1898 in a highly edited version, quickly became a modern spiritual classic, read by millions and translated into over fifty-five languages. John Clarke's acclaimed ... (Goodreads)
Letters from a Stoic
by Seneca
A collection of Stoic philosophies and advice on living a meaningful life.
The power and wealth which Seneca the Younger (c.4 B.C. - A.D. 65) acquired as Nero's minister were in conflict with his Stoic beliefs. Nevertheless he was the outstanding figure of his age. The ... (Goodreads)
The Symposium
by Plato
A philosophical dialogue among ancient Greeks about the nature of love.
A fascinating discussion on sex, gender, and human instincts, as relevant today as ever. In the course of a lively drinking party, a group of Athenian intellectuals exchange views on eros, or desire. ... (Goodreads)
History of the Peloponnesian War
by Thucydides
Detailed account of the protracted war between Athens and Sparta in ancient Greece.
Written four hundred years before the birth of Christ, this detailed contemporary account of the long life-and-death struggle between Athens and Sparta stands an excellent chance of fulfilling its ... (Goodreads)
Philosophical Investigations
by Ludwig Wittgenstein
Wittgenstein's exploration of language and meaning, challenging traditional philosophical concepts and proposing new ways of understanding language games.
Philosophical Investigations, ( German : Philosophische Untersuchungen ) is a work by the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein . The book was published posthumously in 1953. Wittgenstein discusses ... (Wikipedia)
The Histories
by Herodotus
Exploration into the rise and fall of empires in the ancient world.
One of the masterpieces of classical literature, the "Histories" describes how a small and quarrelsome band of Greek city states united to repel the might of the Persian empire. But while this epic ... (Goodreads)
The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
by Benjamin Franklin
A recount of the life of Benjamin Franklin, and his rise to success and influence.
Written initially to guide his son, Benjamin Franklin’s autobiography is a lively, spellbinding account of his unique and eventful life, now a classic of world literature that is sure to inspire and ... (Goodreads)
Discourse on the Origin of Inequality
by Jean-Jacques Rousseau
An exploration of the origins of inequality between humans, and its effects on society.
If humans are benevolent by nature, how do societies become corrupt? And how do governments founded upon the defense of individual rights degenerate into tyranny? These are the questions addressed by ... (Goodreads)
Democracy in America
by Alexis de Tocqueville
A study of the political and social structure of the United States and its implications.
Democracy in America has had the singular honor of being even to this day the work that political commentators of every stripe refer to when they seek to draw large conclusions about the society of ... (Goodreads)
Praise of Folly
by Erasmus
Satirical exploration of the follies of humankind.
In Praise of Folly, , also translated as, The Praise of Folly, ( Latin : Stultitiae Laus or Moriae Encomium ; Greek title: Μωρίας ἐγκώμιον ( Morias egkomion ); Dutch title: Lof der Zotheid ), is an ... (Wikipedia)
The Hero With a Thousand Faces
by Joseph Campbell
Mythology and folklore of the world explored, illustrating a universal hero's journey.
The first popular work to combine the spiritual and psychological insights of modern psychoanalysis with the archetypes of world mythology, the book creates a roadmap for navigating the frustrating ... (Goodreads)
Ecce Homo
by Friedrich Nietzsche
A philosophical treatise on the meaning of life and the power of the individual.
In late 1888, only weeks before his final collapse into madness, Nietzsche (1844-1900) set out to compose his autobiography, and Ecce Homo remains one of the most intriguing yet bizarre examples of ... (Goodreads)
Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life
by C.S. Lewis
Autobiography of an Oxford professor's spiritual journey from atheism to faith.
Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life is a partial autobiography describing Lewis' conversion to Christianity. The book overall contains less detail concerning specific events than typical ... (Goodreads)
An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding
by David Hume
Analysis of the nature of human understanding, challenging existing philosophical and religious beliefs.
An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, is a book by the Scottish empiricist philosopher David Hume , published in English in 1748. , It was a revision of an earlier effort, Hume's A Treatise of ... (Wikipedia)
The Imitation of Christ
by Thomas à Kempis
A spiritual guidebook advocating turning away from worldly concerns and focusing on the divine.
Only the Bible has been more influential as a source of Christian devotional reading than The Imitation of Christ. This meditation on the spiritual life has inspired readers from Thomas More and St. ... (Goodreads)
The Return of the Prodigal Son: A Story of Homecoming
by Henri J.M. Nouwen
Exploration of the parable of the prodigal son and its application to modern life.
A chance encounter with a reproduction of Rembrandt's painting, The Return of the Prodigal Son, catapulted Henri Nouwen into a long spiritual adventure. In his highly-acclaimed book of the same ... (Goodreads)
The Elements of Style
by William Strunk Jr.
A practical guide to written English, providing guidance on grammar and style.
This style manual offers practical advice on improving writing skills. Throughout, the emphasis is on promoting a plain English style. This little book can help you communicate more effectively by ... (Goodreads)
On Bullshit
by Harry G. Frankfurt
A philosophical exploration of the concept of bullshit, and its implications in society.
One of the most salient features of our culture is that there is so much bullshit. Everyone knows this. Each of us contributes his share. But we tend to take the situation for granted. Most people ... (Goodreads)
