Letters on Ethics: To Lucilius (The Complete Works of Lucius Annaeus Seneca) Hardcover – November 20, 2015

Every time I sit down to read this incredible work I feel like I’m in the company of a good friend. What better friend to have? Thank you Seneca!

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Among the ancient Stoics, Seneca, who was a contemporary of Jesus and the Apostle Paul, is universally considered to be the best writer. This is a book that will change your life, if you let it, every bit as much as Marcus Aurelius' Meditations. Incredibly lucid, and very attentive to all the reasons that his readers might have to be dismissive of Stoic doctrines and virtue ethics, Seneca gives us one of history's most compelling and admirable examples of a philosopher who has made a daily practice of pursuing an ideal standard of virtue via concrete, realistic steps.Far from an ancient curiosity, Seneca remains a wonderful go-to resource for tips on handling anxiety, coming to terms with death, living in the moment, avoiding hypocrisy, being a loyal friend, and many other exceedingly practical ethical topics—all with a smooth, conversational, and what I can only describe as a non-dogmatic-and-yet-firm tone. He touches lucidly and casually on many areas of philosophy that are still widely discussed today, such as free will and the usefulness (or not) of abstract ethical theory. The book is littered with quotes from famous Greek and Roman philosophers, including many Stoics, but also Epicureans, Aristoteleans, etc.Since the book is such a delightful piece of literature, and since it is broken up into 124 short letters, it makes for perfect meditational reading. Personally, I use it as a secular alternative to spiritual devotionals. It is a book worth reading more than once.On the translation: It is lovely, lucid and contemporary (2015), as 'Chicago Med Student' made clear in their review. There is a well-written preface on Seneca's works in general, with one of the easiest to comprehend summaries of Stoicism I have found, and there is a long introduction to the Letters in particular that will provide casual readers with all the historical context they need. Ample endnotes are provided for scholars and the curious alike.On the book: The typography, cover, and rich blue dust cover are simply beautiful—the quality you should expect for the price. I own many translations of ancient philosophical works, and as an admitted bibliophile I have to say this is one of the most beautiful books in my library. Only Ian Johnson's The Mozi: A Complete Translation (Translations from the Asian Classics) compares.

The translations are perfect, understandable and academic at the same time, true to the writings of Seneca. The University of Chicago Seneca series is the best set of translations of Seneca without a doubt. A worthy investment. The binding is high quality, so are the pages themselves.

I have been looking for a version of Seneca's letters that had all of his letters. Most books will pick out what they believe are the most important ones. This book gives you all of them. The translation is great and the preface gives you a good idea of how Seneca's life unfolded and how he actually lived up to his philosophy even as he died.

This book is a timeless classic, just knowing that people were dealing with the same struggles 2000 years ago makes it laughable when I run into the same situations in my day to day. Seneca so beautifully addresses strategies for approaching life challenges and the translation is daily readable and something you can revisit over and over.

A book for Life.

This translation is very good but it is frustratingly sloppy. Some of the sentences are unclear when it does not have to be, the notes refer to other notes which is frustrating on a kindle. One example was on page 142 where there is a quote from the Aeneid. It reads: "Behold the assembled peoples, the high walls sharpen their weapons, and the gates are shut." While the literal translation of the latin text is: "Behold which peoples unite, what walled cities sharpen their weapons, their gates being closed." The translators did not realize how awkward their quote was and needed to be modified? Moreover the book sells for about $40 while the kindle edition varies from $5, $15 or $28 take your pick. Especially for the high prices I would not recommend the book. A better choice would be Richard Mott Gummere translation, it is free on the internet, Amazon sells it for a dollar on Kindle and the Dover thrift paperback edition for $12. It is clear, accurate and easy to read. Even though it was done in the 1920's, it has remained surprisingly modern. Therefore let's hope for a revised edition or a much lower price. Both translations include all 124 letters.