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Meditations

by Marcus Aurelius

An emperor’s reflections on conduct and adversity

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AlbakiReads Editorial

An emperor’s reflections on conduct and adversity

Written as a series of reflections, *Meditations* brings together Marcus Aurelius’s thoughts on ethical life, human behavior, daily responsibilities, hardship, and relations with others. Its compact passages make the work easy to approach in short sections, while the subjects range from managing one’s thoughts to living among other people. Gregory Hays’s translation presents the text in contemporary English. This edition also includes an introduction covering Aurelius’s life and career, the principles of Stoicism, the work’s structure, and its continuing influence.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Readers interested in Stoic philosophy and ancient ethics.
  • Those who prefer reflective works that can be read in short sections.
  • Readers seeking a historical perspective on hardship, self-management, and social conduct.

Themes

Stoic philosophyEthical reflectionSelf-managementAdversityHuman relationships

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Book overview

NATIONAL BESTSELLER - Timeless insights into what it takes to lead a meaningful life--still profoundly relevant nearly two thousand years later.

Now featuring a brand-new foreword from Ryan Holiday, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Obstacle Is the Way!

"Meditations offers a glimpse into [Marcus Aurelius's] mind, his habits, and his approach to life. . . . I think any reader would find something useful to take away from it."--James Clear, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Atomic Habits

"It is unbelievable to see how the emperor's words have stood the test of time. . . . Read a page or two anytime you feel like the world is too much."--Arnold Schwarzenegger, The Wall Street Journal

Your ability to control your thoughts--treat it with respect. It's all that protects your mind from false perceptions--false to your nature, and that of all rational beings.

A series of spiritual exercises filled with wisdom, practical guidance, and profound understanding of human behavior, Marcus Aurelius's Meditations remains one of the greatest works of spiritual and ethical reflection ever written. With bite-size insights and advice on everything from living in the world to coping with adversity and interacting with others, Meditations has become required reading not only for statesmen and philosophers alike, but also for generations of readers who responded to the straightforward intimacy of his style.

In Gregory Hays's translation--the first in nearly four decades--Marcus's thoughts speak with a new immediacy. In fresh and unencumbered English, Hays vividly conveys the spareness and compression of the original Greek text. Never before have Marcus's insights been so directly and powerfully presented.

With an Introduction that outlines Marcus's life and career, the essentials of Stoic doctrine, the style and construction of the Meditations, and the work's ongoing influence, this edition makes it possible to fully rediscover the thoughts of one of the most enlightened and intelligent leaders of any era.
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