Breakfast with Seneca : a Stoic guide to the art of living / David Fideler.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Introduction: A life truly worth living -- The lost art of friendship -- Value your time: don't postpone living -- How to overcome worry and anxiety -- The problems with anger -- Wherever you go, there you are: you can't escape from yourself -- How to tame adversity -- Why you should never complain -- The battle against fortune: how to survive poverty and extreme wealth -- Vicious crowds and the ties that bind -- How to be authentic and contribute to society -- Living fully regardless of death -- Give grief its due -- Love and gratitude -- Freedom, tranquility, and lasting joy -- Appendix: Stoic philosophical exercises.

"The first clear and faithful guide to the timeless, practical teachings of the Stoic philosopher Seneca. Stoicism, the most influential philosophy of the Roman Empire, offers refreshingly modern ways to strengthen our inner character in the face of an unpredictable world. Widely recognized as the most talented and humane writer of the Stoic tradition, Seneca teaches us to live with freedom and purpose. His most enduring work, over a hundred "Letters from a Stoic" written to a close friend, explains how to handle adversity; overcome grief, anxiety, and anger; transform setbacks into opportunities for growth; and recognize the true nature of friendship. In Breakfast with Seneca, philosopher David Fideler mines Seneca's classic works in a series of focused chapters, clearly explaining Seneca's ideas without oversimplifying them. Best enjoyed as a daily ritual, like an energizing cup of coffee, Seneca's wisdom provides us with a steady stream of time-tested advice about the human condition-which, as it turns out, hasn't changed much over the past two thousand years"-- Provided by publisher.