Brian D Williams <talon57@well.com> writes:
> I've been reading an interesting little book, It a a new
> interpretation of the stoic philosopher Epictetus's works
> "Discourses" and "Enchiridion" by Sharon LeBell called "The Art Of
> Living." ISBN 0-06-251332-2.
>
> I've been walking around with it in my pocket since I bought it.
>
> The best self-improvement book I've read.
I like Epictetus, but he seems a bit too content to let things be. His insights in how to keep a calm and neutral mental state are valuable.
Another Roman philosopher worth reading is Lucretius; his De Rerum Natura is great writing and a fun (if longish) read. His ideas about natural science are often impressive (like his discussion how lightening can be led through metal while it blasts wood), and sometimes amusingly wrong.
Are there any philosophers that manage to both appreciate change and balance? Far too many seem to ignore change in favor of balance, and the philosophers who laud change are often rather irrational.
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