Being Better, Kai Whiting
Being Better, Kai Whiting
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Being Better
Stoicism for a World Worth Living In

Author: Kai Whiting, Leonidas Konstantakos

Narrator: Liam Gerrard

Unabridged: 4 hr 15 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 08/24/2021


Synopsis

Practical answers to the urgent moral questions of our time from the ancient philosophy of Stoicism

Twenty-three centuries ago, in a marketplace in Athens, Zeno of Citium, the founder of Stoicism, built his philosophy on powerful ideas that still resonate today: all human beings can become citizens of the world, regardless of their nationality, gender, or social class; happiness comes from living in harmony with nature; and, most important, humans always have the freedom to choose their attitude, even when they cannot control external circumstances. In our age of political polarization and environmental destruction, Stoicism's empowering message has taken on new relevance. In Being Better, Kai Whiting and Leonidas Konstantakos apply Stoic principles to contemporary issues such as social justice, climate breakdown, and the excesses of global capitalism. They show that Stoicism is not an ivory-tower philosophy or a collection of Silicon Valley life hacks but a vital way of life that helps us live simply, improve our communities, and find peace in a turbulent world.

About Kai Whiting

Based at Universite catholique de Louvain in Belgium, Kai Whiting is a researcher and lecturer in environmental sustainability and Stoic philosophy.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Julian

Zeno of Citium founded Stoicism at the Stoa Poikile - the Painted Porch - a colonnade that stood outside the public market in Athens over two thousand years ago. Zeno's followers took the name of the porch rather than Zeno's name which says a lot about this philosophy. Zeno argued that there is only......more

I've read three chapters into the Kai Whiting book, 'Being Better' and, my very quick review is - don't bother. If you are familiar with Stoicism it will provide you with very little that is new; if you are unfamiliar with Stoicism, avoid it as it will not give you an accurate depiction of either St......more

Goodreads review by Simon

Kai and Leo have made a wonderful contribution to the world of Stoicism with this book. The interesting examples they give, the references to multiple known and lesser-known Stoics of the past, the insightful questions they ask the reader, and the focus on virtue in daily living are just some of the......more

Goodreads review by Aldo

Whiting, Kai; Konstantakos, Leonidas: Stoicism for a world worth living in. Novato (California): New World Library, 2021. 219 p. $ 16.2. ISBN 978-1-60868-693-3. Aldo Dinucci The book Being Better presents an introduction to contemporary Stoicism from a new angle. Instead of the individualistic selfish......more

Goodreads review by João

One of my favorite books on Stoicism so far. Less focused on Stoic practices than other modern Stoicism books, it provides lots of insights on virtuous living by digging deeper into the lives of both ancient and modern Stoics. Really liked the approach of detaching from practices and focusing on aski......more