On the Good Life (Penguin Classics),   ISBN:9780140442441

Customer Rating: 

This is an exceptional work by an outstanding Roman civic leader of talent and dedication. I was first acquainted with Cicero through his Cataline Orations which I read in Latin in High School.
Yes, we have been debased since the 60's. Our society is no longer acquainted with this original thinker and orator. Cicero was not a media darling; he was not a mere rhetorician. He faced serious issues in the arena of give and take and his logic and reasoning is superb. He did not rely on "talking heads" and polls. He had strength of will and a sense of public virtue and he was dedicated to the good of his country and was willing to sacrifice himself in defending that good.
But, beyond that, he adhered to the Stoic philosophy, originating in Classical Greece. This book, very readible, from "ancient" Rome, provides Cicero's personal philosophical belief to the way of personal virtue for a citizen. This book has significant value for one seeking answers to personal approaches to our modern American world of adulation of media, Hollywood,"Super Models", political, and seclarist royalty to the neglect of country.
The time to revisit Cicero' philosphical works, and the works of other stoics, is at hand.

Customer Rating: 

What strikes me as kind of funny is that I would like to frame this review as "take a step back from the current political chaos, and listen to a voice of wisdom from long ago." I still think this is a great idea, but have to admit that Cicero managed to produce the bulk of his writing just at the time when he was in the midst of enormous political chaos --- and family tragedy.

Somehow, he managed to turn out a whole bunch of fascinating writing, particularly dealing with the question, "Is moral goodness enough to give us a happy life?" This, I think, is a deceptively simple question, and it brings to mind all sorts of scenarios: going into the slave trade to make your millions, and then retiring to have nightmares for the rest of your life, or perhaps: what should you do when you find your parents have died and all of your siblings have turned into Greed Machines and are ready to fight on for years in the courts over every last stamp in Dad's stamp collection? I know at least one couple who simply withdrew from the Greedfest, and I suspect that they were much happier than their relatives.

Finally, I think a good acquaintance with Cicero is a magnificent thing for an American citizen. I must say, I find it absolutely impossible to even imagine Pelosi and Reid reading this book; they are quoted as being completely busy "wining and dining" their big donors in Pacific Heights. But perhaps this is one place where Joe Citizen can steal a march on them! :-)

Good stuff here!

Customer Rating: 

I found this book to be a great introduction to Cicero's works. This work does not contain any of his famous speeches but rather a few of the essays he composed while in exile in Tusculum. Thus though it is a good introduction to his works, it is certainly not representative of them.

Cicero is often called Rome's greatest orator and sometimes even the greatest thinker in the Roman Republic. Certainly, whatever the merits of these appellations, Cicero certainly was one of the greatest thinkers anywhere in the Classical world. The clarity and thoughtfulness of his writings and speeches are superceded only by their timelessness.

This anthology explores Cicero's ideas relating to how one should live one's life in order to be happy. The general conclusion is that one should live a moral and balanced life, and that in so doing, one will find happiness. These ideas are then fleshed out regarding friendships, duties to others, and the like. The material is usually thought-provoking and well put together, and the translation is solid.

In the end, I was struck by the degree to which Cicero managed to synthesize realism and idealism into a whole which was not only practical and empirically sound but also based on the noblest of ideals. His works are thus both challenging and rewarding for people of any viewpoint on life.

Customer Rating: 

One thing to note about this book is that it is a collection of selected chapters from Cicero's works. The only work that is complete is "On Friendship". More than likely, this was designed for literature classes that needed a sampling of Cicero without getting too deep into his writings. If you're a first time reader who would like a sample of Cicero to see if you would like to read more of his works, then this would be a good collection to get you started. However, if you would like complete works, you should avoid this book.

Customer Rating: 

It's always a joy to return to the works of one Marcus Tullius Cicero. He was Rome's greatest orator, and anyone who has ever read his works can certainly see why. In the present work he discusses the concepts of friendship, moral virtue, one's duty to the state, one's duty to one's friends (and what to do when these come into conflict), oratory and the famous "Dream of Scipio." I have little doubt that Dante used the latter as inspiration for the 3rd canticle of his DIVINE COMEDY (Paradise).

In reading of Cicero's thoughts on morality, it's easy to discern the influence that Cicero had on Immanual Kant. Kant extrapolated and expounded on a lot of Cicero's basic ideas. The dialogue on friendship is a good complement to the writings of what Plato & Aristotle had to say on the subject.

The works are translated and edited by the venerable Michael Grant of Cambridge university. I consider myself pretty well read when it comes to the personages of antiquity. Still, Cicero loves to name-drop and frequently his allusions are beyond my grasp. That's where our good buddy Michael Grant comes in. Grant's footnotes do a terrific job of clarifying who Cicero is referring to, and makes Cicero's writings far more cohesive & easier to understand. I would gather that Grant's elucidations would even be apt to assist people with doctorates in history who wish to engage the Roman writer.

There is one mannerism of Cicero's that is bound to rub a lot of readers the wrong way, and that is his being convinced that the world revolves around Rome. In this way, he reminds me of how modern day New Yorkers believe that the world revolves around NYC. It is helpful, however, to remember that in his day the world basically DID revolve around Rome. The Romans truly saw themselves as a beacon of light in what was largely an uncivilized planet. Whether one likes or dislikes the Romans, of course, is a different matter entirely.

If you've never read Cicero before, this would be an ideal place to start. It is a far easier read than his ON THE ORATOR and other works. It will also be a nice introduction into the milieu in which the orator lived. Anyone who has any passing interest in the world of antiquity would be highly urged to read this book.