The Socrates Express: In Search of Life Lessons from Dead Philosophers
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- Author：Eric Weiner
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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 travel in a globe-trotting 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 Beauvoir and 20th-century Paris， Weiner’s chosen philosophers and places provide important practical and spiritual lessons as we navigate today’s chaotic times。
In a “delightful” odyssey that “will take you places intellectually and humorously” （San Francisco Book Review）， 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。 The Socrates Express is “full of valuable lessons…a fun， sharp book that draws readers in with its apparent simplicity and bubble-gum philosophy approach and gradually pulls them in deeper and deeper” （NPR）。
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 travel in a globe-trotting 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 Beauvoir and 20th-century Paris， Weiner’s chosen philosophers and places provide important practical and spiritual lessons as we navigate today’s chaotic times。
In a “delightful” odyssey that “will take you places intellectually and humorously” （San Francisco Book Review）， 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。 The Socrates Express is “full of valuable lessons…a fun， sharp book that draws readers in with its apparent simplicity and bubble-gum philosophy approach and gradually pulls them in deeper and deeper” （NPR）。
Reviews
Damon T。
，
Awesome book。 It's written in a manner and style that makes for enjoyable consumption。 Oftentimes books on philosophy can be dry and difficult to read; this book is definitely not one of those。 Anyone with an even passing interest in philosophy should read this book。 Awesome book。 It's written in a manner and style that makes for enjoyable consumption。 Oftentimes books on philosophy can be dry and difficult to read; this book is definitely not one of those。 Anyone with an even passing interest in philosophy should read this book。 。。。more
Kay Steeves
，
This book was in a list of non-fiction books recommended by Rohan Rajiv， whose blog I read daily， and it was a treasure of a book！ Whatever I knew of philosophers was scattered and sketchy， much of it going back to my college days。 But philosophy texts were never like this！ The author， who has a charming and personal approach to the subject， has selected 12？ philosophers and in several trips by train gives the reader some background on each philosopher's life and thinking and then gives his own This book was in a list of non-fiction books recommended by Rohan Rajiv， whose blog I read daily， and it was a treasure of a book！ Whatever I knew of philosophers was scattered and sketchy， much of it going back to my college days。 But philosophy texts were never like this！ The author， who has a charming and personal approach to the subject， has selected 12？ philosophers and in several trips by train gives the reader some background on each philosopher's life and thinking and then gives his own opinion on what lesson from each philosopher's he would recommend taking to heart。 From Rousseau to Confucius to Simone Weil， Weiner brings these characters to life， entertains the reader with commentary on his own life （traveling with his daughter， for example） and gently guides the reader in a consideration of how following in the way of these philosophers can enrich one's life。 It was hard to grasp all of the lessons while listening to the book in audio form， but I have borrowed a hard copy to do some rereading and note-taking。 。。。more
Dave Courtney
，
I'm a sucker for a good philosophy book。 I think （and therefore I am I suppose） a philosopher at heart， including a tendency to need and want to overthink nearly everything about life。 Throw in some travelogue and Im all in for the ride。 Weiner describes his journey in a very brief summation at the beginning of the book， suggesting the different areas and ideas， beliefs and practices he has tried in his search for meaning and happiness。 One place where I seem to diverge in his thought process is I'm a sucker for a good philosophy book。 I think （and therefore I am I suppose） a philosopher at heart， including a tendency to need and want to overthink nearly everything about life。 Throw in some travelogue and Im all in for the ride。 Weiner describes his journey in a very brief summation at the beginning of the book， suggesting the different areas and ideas， beliefs and practices he has tried in his search for meaning and happiness。 One place where I seem to diverge in his thought process is in the way philosophy inevitably always lands me （or leads me） back to theology。 Which is true for many of the philosohpers he speaks about in is book， including， ironically， the Stoics which had an immense influence on the trajectory of modern， Western thought， a thought process that tends to work extra hard at distancing itself from and even at times positioning itself against the idea of God。 Weiner reveals himself to be a staunch modernist in his interjections， cozing up to the different philosophies as a way of life while insistently categorizing these philsophies as "glasses" through which to "look at the world" differenty in an "as if" way， embracing the untrue and thus manifesting it in our lives。 It is telling that these "untruths" tend to revolve around observable inclinations towards things like the "eternal" and require the imagination of an 'other"。 As Weiner asks， "Does looking at the world in this way （the way of the philosopher） illuminate yours？ Good。 Then it has value。 Philosophically speaking this fits with this deeply ingrained interest in the loss of attachment to the material， the abandonment of self， the loose grip on ownership and expectation， and gradual and accepted slip into nothingness。 Weiner's justification of this is that there is a difference between being nothing and being nothing that was at one time something。 That to him is what matters in the end。 And yet。 There are so many and yets that emerges through his travels on the Socrates Express around the world。 And yet suffering。 And yet the absence of free will。 And yet the absence of control。 And yet the bad outweighs the good。 And yet。。。 As Weinr says， nothing in philosophy is ever clear cut。 There is always a yet。 At ever stop， around every corner Weiner works his way through a particular philosopher （he choose a handful）， from a reason to get out of bed （Aureius， who contemplates the difference between the benefits of doing so but coming to terms with why we ought to in the first place to face the world and the blight and challenge that is other people， the very same people that form the friendships that remain our most valuable resource for making it through this life alive at all）， to learning how to wonder （Socrates， who in seeing feelings and emotions as always having a root and a reason， frees us to ask questions。 It is here where that old adage that says the opposiite of faith is not doubt， but certainty， and questions travel this line between potential cynicism and wonder， moving in two directions as they both seek meaning and convey it）， to the art of walking， seeing and listening （Rousseau， Thoreau and maybe the highlight the great pessimist Schopenhauer， a man after my own heart）， to the grand exercise of seeing the world through the Epicurean Enlightenment and developing morality and contentment with growing modernisty， through the expermintal "eternal" cycle of Nietzsche （This life， as you live it now and have lived it， you will have to live again and again， times without number）， coping with the tough realities like aging and death。 It's worth pionting out that within all of this Weiner comes back to this essential truth that he sees， which says that "The examined life that doesn't produce practical results isn't worth living。" This comes around most pointedly in his final chapter where he attends for this journey called life by saying that life is， when we boil it down to， measured by a measure of success in living it well。 This might be where I am on a slightly different track， even if I find much of what he brings to the table helpful and agreeable and even truthful。 If the rolling down the mountain analogy holds any power， then this means that while we cannot control the trajectory （and tryng to robs us of joy and participation and happiness） we can control the shape of the cylinder that we embody。 That is to say， we can control our attitude， how we contol life。 And yet （to bring that word back in）， this is only comfort to the good life。 If this is not attached to some form of Truth as reality that comes， as he confesses， from outside of ourselves， the divine in the universe that informs our sense of being， something he accepts in figurative but not actualized or embodied terms （or which he sees embodied in us）， this bears little comfort to the rational mind and process。 It remains necessarily detached， going so far to manipulate and control our memories in order to shape our narrative how best serves our sense of being when we look back on our lives in the shadow of death。 As he writes， "All truth is crooked。 Only in retrospect do we straighten the narrative， assign patterns and meaning。" This leaves us with two notions。 One， philosophy only makes sense in the full trajectory of a lived life， which includes death。 And second， if we fail at it， fake it until you make it。 That's what matters。 And somehow while happiness comes in the form of the full abdonment of desire and self， it all comes back in the end to the satisfaction of the self in its accomplishment。 Which is where he ends up with a contradiction。 If my experience of this world is not contingent on suffering （that is， suffering exists despite my experience of this world as good）， then in every rational means this life remains one big roll of the die， and philosphy can only teach us how to satisfy its claim over us in whatever way works （and which philosophers hold differing opinions on）。 We cannot arrive at such a position for the 10 year old who dies in the car crash， or the baby who emerges stillborn。 Push that further and it is a fine line between ones struggle with depression and anxiety for example， and ones acceptance that this life is more bad than good and not worth liviing at all。 This， in rational terms， can be the end point of philsophical concern and be fully justfied。And yet it （the body of philosophical work Weiner is exploring） tries to transcend this。 Oh does it try。 "A philosopher says to his opinions， "You are my opinions。 How did you get in here？ You didn't ask me。 I didn't examine you。 Yet I believe you。 You're taking over my life。" Facing these opinions along these travels consistently comes to terms with life's reality， and consitently has its gaze turned outwards again and again。 Away from the self and towards the other。 Away from the material and towards the divine。 All with a particular longing for the divine and the material to somehow come together in a way that means something in the grander scheme。 Not just in a narrative we have the luxury of creating for our own happiness and fulfillment （as though this is what life is about）， but as a narrative that Truthfully holds power over our lives， power enough to say it matters that we get up and face the day， that we exist。 We can get here on the back of the philosophical train of course， but I question whether we can do so honestly and rationally （and apparentaly rationalism still matters for Weiner， enough to determine his worldview）。 I'm not convinced it can without theology， which is one of the things the West， in its full secularization of religion under the guise of Epicureanism and Stoicism/Platonism， deeply struggles with。 It's no wonder that materialism has entrenched its foothold on whatever philosophical threads remain here。 This is why philosophical theology makes sense to me。 This is also why natural theology makes sense to me。 Philosophy has a nasty trend in history of attending for this world and our experience by relegtaing God to out there somewhere， if anywhere at all。 What then happens is the freedom of philsophy to ride the couttails of reliigous interest in the divine， simply in imaginative terms。 If God is safely relegated outside of our sphere then we can give it a concilartory nod from time to time without having to actually grapple with it， and allow philosphy to return to what matters- us。 Which rings empty and shallow to me。 If this is what we endeavor towards- the full of abandoment of ourselves to nothing in order to eventually find ourselves in this world as something， we end up with very litle of substance。 Sure， it sounds romantic。 It's abounding with art and transcendence of an illusionary nature。 And sure it works to a point。 But there is a reason why suffering remains the achillles heel of the philosophers。 it meets its match when attending with life itself。 We can philosphize this away， but at some point it all seems to come back around， at least for the less privileged， to the higher questions of God or Nihilsm。 And to me， that's where all the philosphy gains its trajectory and formation in a particular direction。 Where it must truly face the mirror of the self and ask what it sees and what remains when the self is subsumed into nothingingness。 。。。more
Paul Lemcke
，
This is somewhere between a How-To manual for understanding and incorporating various philosophers' thinking and a memoir of the author's "visits" to these philosophers。 This is not a deep or academic look at Schopenhauer or Socrates or Simone de Beauvoir， but a layman's practical guide as to how 14 different philosophers influenced our thinking and how you too can appreciate their efforts。 It was entertaining and educational for this reader who needed just that much philosophy and no more。 This is somewhere between a How-To manual for understanding and incorporating various philosophers' thinking and a memoir of the author's "visits" to these philosophers。 This is not a deep or academic look at Schopenhauer or Socrates or Simone de Beauvoir， but a layman's practical guide as to how 14 different philosophers influenced our thinking and how you too can appreciate their efforts。 It was entertaining and educational for this reader who needed just that much philosophy and no more。 。。。more
Mitchell Salvatore
，
Good read。 Not a fan of the narrative style。 I think I would have enjoyed the primary sources themselves more。
Sil Azevedo
，
How does traveling the world by train with a fun guy who has a deep side sound？ If this appeals to you， Eric Weiner’s audio book will be a joy。 This is not a typical travelogue in the sense that the majority of the writing does not focus on the experiences of the trip itself， though there is some of that to set context。 Eric uses the train locations to launch his reflections about some of his favorite philosophers’ lives and thought。 And it works， because he is a knowledgeable student of philoso How does traveling the world by train with a fun guy who has a deep side sound？ If this appeals to you， Eric Weiner’s audio book will be a joy。 This is not a typical travelogue in the sense that the majority of the writing does not focus on the experiences of the trip itself， though there is some of that to set context。 Eric uses the train locations to launch his reflections about some of his favorite philosophers’ lives and thought。 And it works， because he is a knowledgeable student of philosophy and an approachable writer and narrator， having worked as an international NPR radio correspondent。 If going on a field trip around the world with your favorite philosophy teacher sounds like something you would enjoy， this will be a a good listen。 I imagine it will be nice as a book as well， but since Eric is a radio guy， the audio format was particularly fitting in this case。 。。。more
Eric
，
If you’re hoping to learn about classic philosophy and philosophers， this book isn’t that。 It’s about some guy’s own lift lessons draped in the facade of philosophy。
Alexander Kutovoy
，
This book is a beautifully written and very well-composed piece that condenses the catchiest and most accessible to relate concepts。 It is a well-tailored and elegantly arranged sequence of gentle introductions into schools of philosophy。 It is a fantastic way to introduce oneself to topics one could have previously considered （for whatever reasons） redundant in their life—a delightful， refreshing read。 Those somewhat familiar with some of the names mentioned within the book would still find tha This book is a beautifully written and very well-composed piece that condenses the catchiest and most accessible to relate concepts。 It is a well-tailored and elegantly arranged sequence of gentle introductions into schools of philosophy。 It is a fantastic way to introduce oneself to topics one could have previously considered （for whatever reasons） redundant in their life—a delightful， refreshing read。 Those somewhat familiar with some of the names mentioned within the book would still find that it consist of fresh perspectives and nuances they might have missed earlier and would enjoy rediscovering。 I very much recommend it。 。。。more
David
，
What a wonderful， humorous introduction to philosophy and some of the great philosophers。I enjoyed the unique story-telling and application of philosophy in Eric's travels， riding on trains and engaging with his daughter。If you find philosophy dry， this is for you。 What a wonderful， humorous introduction to philosophy and some of the great philosophers。I enjoyed the unique story-telling and application of philosophy in Eric's travels， riding on trains and engaging with his daughter。If you find philosophy dry， this is for you。 。。。more
Stacy
，
I thought this was a travel book with a smattering of philosophy， it's the opposite。 Decent book if you're interested in dabbling in philosophy， not so good if you're looking for a travel memoir。 I thought this was a travel book with a smattering of philosophy， it's the opposite。 Decent book if you're interested in dabbling in philosophy， not so good if you're looking for a travel memoir。 。。。more
Alison
，
I've been listening to some non-fiction lately （memoirs mostly） and just don't think I liked this particular book in this format as much as I would've in print。 So， wish I'd been able to rewind and review what I was hearing more easily and commit the coolest ideas to memory。 Still， easy-to- follow applications of various philosophies and I liked the travel component too。 I've been listening to some non-fiction lately （memoirs mostly） and just don't think I liked this particular book in this format as much as I would've in print。 So， wish I'd been able to rewind and review what I was hearing more easily and commit the coolest ideas to memory。 Still， easy-to- follow applications of various philosophies and I liked the travel component too。 。。。more
Fred Cheyunski
，
Bringing Together Different Trains of Thought - Resonating with outlooks expressed in Pinker’s “Enlightenment Now” and Hawking’s “Brief Answers to Big Questions” and seeking more sources along those lines， I recalled hearing author Weiner’s interview about this book on NPR。 It seemed this work might point me in the direction of further comparable sources。 As it turns out， the author did orient me to thinkers where I have some alignment， e。g。 Epictetus/Stoicism and the Cynics as well as the Epicu Bringing Together Different Trains of Thought - Resonating with outlooks expressed in Pinker’s “Enlightenment Now” and Hawking’s “Brief Answers to Big Questions” and seeking more sources along those lines， I recalled hearing author Weiner’s interview about this book on NPR。 It seemed this work might point me in the direction of further comparable sources。 As it turns out， the author did orient me to thinkers where I have some alignment， e。g。 Epictetus/Stoicism and the Cynics as well as the Epicureans）， offered a greater appreciation of other traditions， and brought me back anew to where I started with his trains of thought。In particular， the author blends train （also plane and auto） travel to present philosophers from different countries and eras in 14 chapters according to three major life phases。 More specifically， after an Introduction， “Departure，” Part I。 Dawn addresses （1） How to Get Out of Bed Like Marcus Aurelius， （2） How to Wonder Like Socrates， （3） How to Walk Like Rousseau， （4） How to See Like Thoreau， and （5） How to Listen Like Schopenhauer; Part II。 Noon deals with （6） How to Enjoy Like Epicurus， （7） How to Pay Attention Like Simone Weil， （8） How to Fight Like Gandhi， （9） How to Be Kind Like Confucius， and （10） How to Appreciate the Small Things Like Sei Shonagon; and Part III。 Dusk treats （11） How to Have No Regrets Like Nietzsche， （12） How to Cope Like Epictetus， （13） How to Grow Old Like Beauvoir， （14） How to Die Like Montaigne and an Epilogue， “Arrival。” There are also Acknowledgements， About the Author and Notes sections including Bibliographical References as well as an Index。I particularly enjoyed the cleverness with which this book was put together as a way to make and keep philosophical ideas interesting via the lives， places and stories regarding the different philosophers。 In the opening pages， Weiner suggests that “We think we want information and knowledge。 We do not。 We want wisdom 。 。 。 Wisdom untangles the facts， makes sense of them， and， crucially， suggests how best to use them。” Proceeding from Socrates （bringing “Preface to Plato” to mind， see my review of “Eric Havelock and the Toronto School”）， the author covers those less attended like Schopenhauer on Music， other Non-Western cultural connections to Gandhi， Confucius， Japanese Courtier Sei Shonegon， and back to fellow Western women thinkers like Weil and Beauvoir and others to offer many “nuggets” of wisdom。For instance， Weiner uses concepts from his subjects to enlighten about our own times。 At one point （Location 1527-29）， the author indicates that “。 。 。 the Internet is Schopenhauer’s Will made manifest in the digital age。 Like the Will， the Internet is omnipresent， and purposeless。 。 。 As with the Will， the Internet offers two ways to escape its clutch: the path of the ascetic and that of the aesthete。” Elsewhere， he reveals Epicurus’s urging his followers to avoid “the prison of business affairs and politics，” while further on highlighting Gandhi’s ability to “fight the good fight” whose approaches were adopted by Martin Luther King for the American civil rights movement （see my review of Coates’ “We Were Eight Years in Power”）。Such allusions helped to point me in some different directions as well as back to familiar ones。 As Weiner observes “We live in the age of the algorithm and artificial intelligence， with their tacit promise to manage the uncertainty， the messiness， of life。 They have not。 If anything， life feels less predictable， and messier， than ever。 This is where Stoicism shines。” He goes on to indicate that “The Stoics believe we can change the way we feel by changing the way we think” （prefiguring CBT）， also that “a common Stoic exhortation is to “live in accord with nature。” These sentiments seem to suggest returning to thoughtful scientists as well as to seek insights from different cultures and traditions for further inspiration。Even with all the nuggets provided， there are times when the chapters feel like Weiner’s radio pieces from when he was an NPR reporter。 The stories are compelling， but sometimes divergent pieces are related together to complete a narrative or fill the “air time” （see my review of Jessica Abel’s “Out on the Wire: The Storytelling Secrets of the New Masters of Radio”）。In spite of the periodic digressions， I found “The Socrates Express” well worth my time and commend it to others seeking similar guidance and wisdom。 。。。more
Jesse Figuera
，
This was completely delightful on audio。 Listened to it twice in a row and have referenced it often already。 I think it's going to stick with me。 I'm a huge fan of Weiner's writing style and he seems like a very kind person。 This was completely delightful on audio。 Listened to it twice in a row and have referenced it often already。 I think it's going to stick with me。 I'm a huge fan of Weiner's writing style and he seems like a very kind person。 。。。more
Dd Burlin
，
Excellent。 Such a clear， succinct， and witty approach to life and philosophy。 This book will be read again and again。
Roger Carter
，
I have a love/hate relationship with philosophy。 I love the thought and teaching of the philosopher but hate trying to grind my way through an understanding of the philosopher。 If only it was more enjoyable to enjoy philosophy。 And then I found this book。 Eric Weiner helps bridge the gap between what these ancient and contemporary teachers taught us and how it applies。 The author takes us on a lovely “train ride” where we have as much fun on the journey as with the message。
Jay Heinrichs
，
As someone who reads （and writes） about rhetoric， philosophy's close and underrated cousin， I expected to enjoy this train-ride philosophy book more than I did。 The premise is a bit gimmicky--Weiner rides a train to where a philosopher lived， then writes a short chapter about the thinker。 We learn， among other things， that Weiner has a weird obsession for luggage。 All in all， an amusing book for someone who hasn't read any philosophy and feels guilty about it。 But a better alternative might be t As someone who reads （and writes） about rhetoric， philosophy's close and underrated cousin， I expected to enjoy this train-ride philosophy book more than I did。 The premise is a bit gimmicky--Weiner rides a train to where a philosopher lived， then writes a short chapter about the thinker。 We learn， among other things， that Weiner has a weird obsession for luggage。 All in all， an amusing book for someone who hasn't read any philosophy and feels guilty about it。 But a better alternative might be the podcast Philosophize This， written by an actual student of philosophy。 。。。more
Akhil Jain
，
Reco by Rohan https://alearningaday。blog/2020/12/29。。。 Reco by Rohan https://alearningaday。blog/2020/12/29。。。 。。。more
Emily
，
This book is a delight - both entertaining and thought-provoking。 I am inspired to read this author’s other titles and to delve into the original works of the philosophers he profiles。
Kelly
，
Weiner does it again。。。so entertaining。
Ashmita Sengupta
，
A beautiful， soft immersion into philosophy。 Eric keeps presenting the many "truth nuggets" across 14 philosophers that might just help you with a shift in perspective， & let you lead a authentic life in a seemingly inauthentic age。For the ones already immersed in this way of thought or these philosophers might find this vague， slightly superficial - but I think it was just enough without overwhelming the novice making this seemingly daunting theoretical world seem more approachable。 Loved under A beautiful， soft immersion into philosophy。 Eric keeps presenting the many "truth nuggets" across 14 philosophers that might just help you with a shift in perspective， & let you lead a authentic life in a seemingly inauthentic age。For the ones already immersed in this way of thought or these philosophers might find this vague， slightly superficial - but I think it was just enough without overwhelming the novice making this seemingly daunting theoretical world seem more approachable。 Loved underlining & scribbling through the margins on this one， definitely makes you wonder。 。。。more
Alec
，
4。5 stars。 I really enjoyed this one。 Weiner doesn't get too in depth about each of the 14 philosopher who inspired his thinking， but with every chapter you get a snippet of the thoughts and ponderings of said philosophers。 The philosophical roster ranges from Marcus Aurelius to Nietzsche to Gandhi and Simone de Beauvoir while the chapters run with titles such as "How to Wonder like Socrates" and "How to be Kind like Confucius"。 The premise of traveling by train （as evidenced by the book jacket， 4。5 stars。 I really enjoyed this one。 Weiner doesn't get too in depth about each of the 14 philosopher who inspired his thinking， but with every chapter you get a snippet of the thoughts and ponderings of said philosophers。 The philosophical roster ranges from Marcus Aurelius to Nietzsche to Gandhi and Simone de Beauvoir while the chapters run with titles such as "How to Wonder like Socrates" and "How to be Kind like Confucius"。 The premise of traveling by train （as evidenced by the book jacket， the cover and the author's own words） sort of。。。well。。。flopped for me。 He starts his chapters on a train with a short description of the said journey， yet most of the chapters take place on foot or at his eventual destination。 I'm a sucker for train travel and I was hoping there would be more of it。 As well， I just wanted to hate on one more thing， the title。 The phrase 'life lessons' rubs me in all sorts of bad ways， but there is some truth behind the words in Weiner's book。No matter the school of thought and no matter the thinker， philosophy aims to unpack life and help us devolve meaning from the world around us in one way or another。 I appreciate what Weiner did with his book as well - he is honest with the reader and open with himself about his flaws and misgivings。 He never tries to sugarcoat topics with you and， in turn， he has revealed a hard truth about life。 As we age， thinking becomes tedious for some; we tend to be set in our ways and to crystallize our personal prejudices and worldviews。 We become so convinced that our way of thinking is the one true way and that others， whether they disagree with， argue or accept us， can't possibly own the secrets to a good life。 Studying philosophy or reading philosophical texts won't make you a better parent or a better partner。 It won't keep you from going bald or putting on weight。 It certainly won't solve world hunger or clean up your neighborhood。 What it can do for you is to put things in perspective， and this is Weiner's main message。 To take a deep look at life。 Not to see what's on the other side of the door， but to see the door itself。 To look at the handle and the wood， the frame and the color。 We must take a step back and really work things over in order to truly understand life and to accept life as it is。 Weiner's book is quite a pleasant place to start this process。 。。。more
Emily
，
This book both served its purpose and massively disappointed。 As a survey of whom to read more--yes， turns out I love Nietzsche， Marcus Aurelius， and the Stoics。 But the thematic conceit failed; train rides in random global locations as a path to the questions of life felt forced and inauthentic for all philosophers except those who talked about transportation （Rousseau and Thoreau on walking）。 I hadn't considered philosophy as grappling with how to live and the questions of life， so I appreciat This book both served its purpose and massively disappointed。 As a survey of whom to read more--yes， turns out I love Nietzsche， Marcus Aurelius， and the Stoics。 But the thematic conceit failed; train rides in random global locations as a path to the questions of life felt forced and inauthentic for all philosophers except those who talked about transportation （Rousseau and Thoreau on walking）。 I hadn't considered philosophy as grappling with how to live and the questions of life， so I appreciate that framing。 In sum: a fine accessible survey。 A shame it wasn't great。 。。。more
Hank Boyce
，
Find your own truthI truly enjoyed the author ‘opening his kimono’ to his inner self。There is something in this book for everyone and everyone will not like parts of it。 Finding the wisdom in the book that resonates within you is worth the grind of persevering through the chapter on Schopenhauer。
Sierra Carroll
，
An amazing listen。 Thanks Eric Weiner for validating my need to listen 🎧 audiobooks。 I’ll come back and review this later。 My favorite book IN LONG TIME。 I never give 5 stars ⭐️。 I’m still marinating this book。
Kerry
，
Excellent review of a few of the best thinkers。
Chris
，
I’d read two other books by the author so I was familiar with his engaging， self-deprecating， and witty style。 Just an interesting introduction to a diverse group of philosophers。 Quite a unique and cool way of organizing the philosophers and his journey to know them: how to see， how to die， etc。 A nice summary of how to live。One thing for sure is that Weiner needs to write a book about trains and another one on coffee as these two items are the key enablers for him to communicate the world to u I’d read two other books by the author so I was familiar with his engaging， self-deprecating， and witty style。 Just an interesting introduction to a diverse group of philosophers。 Quite a unique and cool way of organizing the philosophers and his journey to know them: how to see， how to die， etc。 A nice summary of how to live。One thing for sure is that Weiner needs to write a book about trains and another one on coffee as these two items are the key enablers for him to communicate the world to us。 。。。more
Ida Baltikauskas
，
While not geared to philosophy students I learned fascinating facts about philosophers。
Anant
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Eric does a phenomenal job walking through the various schools of philosophy， the philosophers who defined these and Eric's own interpretation of these。 This makes a good gentle introduction to philosophy - having tried to read Nietzsche earlier and having found that overwhelming as a introduction to philosophy， I certainly appreciate Eric's style， subtle humor and reflective style。 Good read。 This certainly helped me reflect on some perspectives and offered good validation and rooted them into Eric does a phenomenal job walking through the various schools of philosophy， the philosophers who defined these and Eric's own interpretation of these。 This makes a good gentle introduction to philosophy - having tried to read Nietzsche earlier and having found that overwhelming as a introduction to philosophy， I certainly appreciate Eric's style， subtle humor and reflective style。 Good read。 This certainly helped me reflect on some perspectives and offered good validation and rooted them into much researched philosophies。 。。。more
Lauren Hillman
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A nice concise write up on multiple philosophers and philosophies - including some who are not usually thought of as such。
John
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