Liz Thompson
Reading is something I love to do but often find that I do not have ( or do not make) the time to settle in with a good book. Well, one great thing about my job is doing book reviews. That way I have to read, and the books I review are on topic. Usually…
This book, “How Plato and Pythagoras Can Save Your Life” by Nicholas Kardaras, PhD, is a bit different than what I am used to reviewing. But it is about how Greek philosophy can improve your health and happiness, and I truly believe that those two things (health and happiness) go hand in hand with beauty.
And the philosophy part intrigued me too. Admittedly, any time I have spent listening to someone talk on the subject of Greek philosophy has seemed to me to be a bit…well…boring. Just my opinion, I certainly mean no offense. And while this may sound overly simplistic, I feel that too much analyzing can have negative effects on your happiness level.
So, I thought this seemed like an interesting read, combining both happiness and Greek philosophy. The story is of a night club owner who, basically, overdoses and almost dies. After recovering from this traumatic event, he seeks to set his life straight and delves into his ancestral roots and …Greek philosophy.
The beginning of the book was really quite enthralling, but toward the middle I got kind of bogged down with the super philosophical nature of it all. I do most of my reading at bedtime, so time of day may have played a role in this too. Admittedly, while I do read a lot of books on spirituality, meditation, and alternative living – philosophy is not really my thang.
While it may have lost me a bit, the take away message of the book is a good one; what we spend our time doing and thinking, is what we get out of life. The old garbage in, garbage out adage. And this is, in a nutshell, the way I usually try to live my life.
Nicholas also gives exercises at the end of some chapters, in the form of meditaions. If you have never tried a little soul searching via meditation you really must. It is life changing.
So, for those of you who love to delve deep into the philosophical pool, this book is a must read for you. Nicholas is an inspiration, someone who has turned his life around to do better by himself. And try to help the rest of us out a little in the process.
You can find “How Plato and Pythagoras Can Save Your Life” at Amazon and Red Wheel.
Image: Red Wheel
