Kindle
$13.49
Available instantly
Audible Logo Audiobook
$0.00
with membership trial
Hardcover
$20.04
Paperback
$11.48
Kindle Price: $13.49

Promotions apply when you purchase

These promotions will be applied to this item:

Some promotions may be combined; others are not eligible to be combined with other offers. For details, please see the Terms & Conditions associated with these promotions.

Read with our free app
You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.
Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions

Buy for others

Give as a gift or purchase for a team or group.
Learn more

Buying and sending eBooks to others

  1. Select quantity
  2. Buy and send eBooks
  3. Recipients can read on any device

These ebooks can only be redeemed by recipients in the US. Redemption links and eBooks cannot be resold.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Amazon book clubs early access
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Amazon book clubs early access

Join or create book clubs

Choose books together

Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Explore Amazon Book Clubs

Follow the authors

Epictetus
+ Follow
Sharon Lebell
+ Follow
See all
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

The Art of Living: The Classical Mannual on Virtue, Happiness, and Effectiveness Kindle Edition

by Epictetus (Author), Sharon Lebell (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 2,783 ratings
See all formats and editions

Epictetus was born into slavery about 55 ce in the eastern outreaches of the Roman Empire. Once freed, he established an influential school of Stoic philosophy, stressing that human beings cannot control life, only their responses to it. By putting into practice the ninety-three witty, wise, and razor-sharp instructions that make up The Art of Living, readers learn to meet the challenges of everyday life successfully and to face life's inevitable losses and disappointments with grace.

Read more Read less
Previous page
  1. Print length
    144 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    HarperOne
  5. Publication date
    February 5, 2013
  6. File size
    463 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
Next page
Add a debit or credit card to save time when you check out
Convenient and secure with 2 clicks. Add your card

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

"Happiness and freedom begin with a clear understanding of one principle: Some things are within our control, and some things are not. It is only after you have faced up to this fundamental rule and learned to distinguish between what you can and can't control that inner tranquility and outer effectiveness become possible." The Stoic philosopher Epictetus was born on the eastern edges of the Roman Empire in A.D. 55, but The Art of Living is still perfectly suited for any contemporary self-help or recovery program. To prove the point, this modern interpretation by Sharon Lebell casts the teachings in up-to-date language, with phrases like "power broker" and "casual sex" popping up intermittently. But the core is still the same: Epictetus keeps the focus on progress over perfection, on accomplishing what can be accomplished and abandoning unproductive worry over what cannot.

Review

“A treasury of eternally good advice, wise as a grandfather, earthy as the Tao.” — Jack Kornfield, author of A Path with Heart

“The message of Epictetus is as vital today as it ever was.” — Jacob Needleman, author of The Heart of Philosophy

“Epictetus sounds like the Buddha, and Sharon Lebell’s voice makes him sound like the delightful man next door.” — Sylvia Boorstein, author of It's Easier Than You Think

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00AHC9PZW
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ HarperOne (February 5, 2013)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 5, 2013
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 463 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 144 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 2,783 ratings

About the authors

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Previous page
  1. Epictetus

    Epictetus

    Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    Epictetus (/ˌɛpɪkˈtiːtəs/; Greek: Ἐπίκτητος; c. AD 55 – 135) was a Greek speaking Stoic philosopher. He was born a slave at Hierapolis, Phrygia (present day Pamukkale, Turkey), and lived in Rome until his banishment, when he went to Nicopolis in north-western Greece for the rest of his life. His teachings were written down and published by his pupil Arrian in his Discourses.

    Epictetus taught that philosophy is a way of life and not just a theoretical discipline. To Epictetus, all external events are determined by fate, and are thus beyond our control; we should accept whatever happens calmly and dispassionately. However, individuals are responsible for their own actions, which they can examine and control through rigorous self-discipline.

    Bio from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Photo by Frontispiece drawn by “Sonnem.” (? hard to read, left bottom corner) and engraved by “MB” (bottom right corner). Image scanned by the John Adams Library at the Boston Public Library. Image slightly improved by Aristeas. [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.

    See more on the author's page
  2. Sharon Lebell

    Sharon Lebell

    Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

    See more on the author's page
Next page

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
2,783 global ratings
Small book, but does the job.
4 Stars
Small book, but does the job.
It was a thin book, but it did the job in terms of explanation and content.
Hide
Thank you for your feedback
Sorry, there was an error
Sorry we couldn't load the review

Top reviews from the United States

Tom Venuto, Author of Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle
5.0 out of 5 stars Classic for every personal development library
Reviewed in the United States on January 2, 2018
Verified Purchase
The Art Of Living is a small book (144 pages) with big messages. I consider this book a personal development classic because while it's a modern book (1994), it’s author Sharon Lebell's "interpretation" of the classic work by stoic philosopher Epictetus.

Epictetus was born in A.D. 55 in the eastern outreaches of the Roman Empire. The book has been called the Western equivalent to the Dhamapada or the Tao Te Ching.

It is a book of philosophical teachings in the stoic tradition. This interpretation is very easy to read because it has been written in modern language. You can read the original interpretations of Epictetus in his Enchiridion or Discourses, but those are not easy to read in comparison.

This is also easy to read because it is broken in to 93 lessons or instructions (some are only a paragraph long, others a page to page and half at most), making this an easy book to pick up and read in parts during little moments of spare time.

What I like most is that it's based on personal development of character, virtue and behavior. It instructs you on how to think clearly and how to work on yourself daily to become a better person. It's about action and application not just theorizing.

The philosophy also recognizes that everyday life is fraught with difficulty, losses, disappointments and griefs and teaches you how to think right about these events and how to rise to meet challenges.

I have this in my kindle, but I also picked up the original hard cover edition years ago and still have it. Even though I've read it numerous times, this one always stays on my shelf within arm's reach, to pull down and review, or where the mere sight of it will be a cue to remember the messages inside.
125 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Gary Wiley
5.0 out of 5 stars This book will definitely help live sensibly
Reviewed in the United States on January 10, 2024
Verified Purchase
The advice and sayings of Epictetus have helped me time and time again to handle the craziness happening around our lives. One saying is definitely a complete cure for codependency and take responsibility for your actions, not in a self downplaying way, but with common sense and the reality of what is in your power to control and what isn't. I don't want to give away the messages and plain common reality put forth simply because this book has so much knowledge I wouldn't want to ruin it for you. This is a fantastic collection of very simple truths that kept me on track and virtually sane in what I know is a crazy world
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
GPFord
4.0 out of 5 stars Critics of this little book are too harsh
Reviewed in the United States on July 29, 2010
Verified Purchase
It is interesting and disappointing that some of the one star and two star critics are so harsh and almost mean spirited in their reviews of Lebell's little book on Epictetus. It may be that those critics need to be reminded that Epictetus himself focused not on the academic, obscure, inaccessible approach to Stoicism. His primary focus was on teaching in the most direct and most elucidating manner. While Lebell's book is certainly no scholarly analysis of the great Stoic philosopher, I never assumed that was her intention. She seems to simply have attempted to write an everyman's introduction to stoicism in general and Epictetus in particular. I remember well Alan Watts being criticized by some academic scholars for being a mere "popularizer of Zin" which, of course, he was and many of us benefited greatly from his efforts. If Lebell succeeds in turning readers on to Epictetus and stoicism she should be applauded not belittled for her efforts. For those of you who did enjoy Lebell's book and are now interested in learning more, I highly recommend A.A. Long's "Epictetus: A Stoic and Socratic Guide to Life." It is a very well written book with some very enlightening and, I assume, original insights. I have now read Long's book twice and will likely read it yet again. Each time I do I learn more. Lebell's book is very different from Long's book, but I believe they both have their place and both are worth reading.
19 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Family of Five
5.0 out of 5 stars OUTSTANDING! Have bought mutliple formats/copies. 100% happy.
Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2023
Verified Purchase
This is an easy review - FANTASTIC modern translation - done just right. I have given away two copies (paperback) of this book to those I thought could benefit from the classic Stoic text. I then bought back a Kindle copy and a Hardcover for myself. I will likely buy more paperbacks for friends and family.
The author has done such a beautiful job of making the classic text more approachable, memorable, and easy to apply to our lives. I have probably at least eight translations free from the web, but in English they always a bit of a struggle and I tend to put them down prematurely....and quickly forget what I read and therefore do not apply the wisdom to my own life.
Being a student of Roman Stoics and buying and reading many if not all of them to my knowledge (including Seneca) I believe there are three masterworks.
---(1) That One Should Disdain Hardships (aka Lectures and Sayings) by Musonius Rufus (translated by C.E. Lutz, also well done by C. King and W. Irvine)
---(2) Enchiridion by Epictetus (best modern translation by S. Lebell, she has done such a good job)
---(3) Meditations by Marcus Aurelius (best modern translation by Gregory Hays - by far the best!)
Rufus (Philosopher) directly taught Epictetus (Slave and Philosopher) who in turn heavily influenced Aurelius (Orphan, Emperor, and Philosopher). IMHO, and I have read a lot, Seneca is not in the same league as these three. Just my opinion. I have read countless translations of the Enchiridion and Meditations and highly recommend the two I noted above. Really there are only two for Rufus and you should likely get both by Lutz and by King & Irvine.
Cheers!
7 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
Mr Ali
5.0 out of 5 stars life of purpose and virtue
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 28, 2023
Verified Purchase
I have found this book a manual of purposeful and flourishing life. It gives advice on every aspect of life both in good and bad days. If this manual is adopted one can live good life indeed.
Report
Goutam Mistry
5.0 out of 5 stars Guide towards a better understanding
Reviewed in India on July 30, 2023
Verified Purchase
I think this book is a masterpiece and no one would deny about it. It teaches us the right way to awaken our soul. It emphasizes the idea of self improvement for which we can choose the decision that would help us to build a better moral character for not only ourselves but also for the whole mankind. Okay, I won't make it larger; instead you should try it for yourself...
Customer image
Goutam Mistry
5.0 out of 5 stars Guide towards a better understanding
Reviewed in India on July 30, 2023
I think this book is a masterpiece and no one would deny about it. It teaches us the right way to awaken our soul. It emphasizes the idea of self improvement for which we can choose the decision that would help us to build a better moral character for not only ourselves but also for the whole mankind. Okay, I won't make it larger; instead you should try it for yourself...
Images in this review
Customer image
Customer image
2 people found this helpful
 Report
anher
5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding!
Reviewed in the Netherlands on October 31, 2020
Verified Purchase
Meaningful book and quite a life changer Wonderfully written. Print quality is great. Easy to read. You know a book is great when you read it and you don't feel the time passing, I felt that with this book.
Report
N L
5.0 out of 5 stars Klein aber fein
Reviewed in Germany on October 15, 2020
Verified Purchase
Das Buch ist relativ kurz, aber enthält sehr viele stoische Weisheiten, die einem im Leben sehr helfen können. Im Gegensatz zu viele anderen Stoizismus Büchern ist es auch sehr gut verständlich und leicht zu lesen. Ich würde es Leuten empfehlen, die bisher noch keine Bücher in dem Bereich gelesen haben und ein leicht lesbares Buch für den Einstieg in den Stoizismus suchen.
Ich werde das Buch auf jeden Fall noch einige Male in die Hand nehmen und bestimmte Stellen mehrmals lesen.
Long story short: absolute Kaufempfehlung!
3 people found this helpful
 Report
Queensman
5.0 out of 5 stars An ancient essential guide for modern life.
Reviewed in Canada on September 28, 2017
Verified Purchase
Our modern society's preoccupation with Eastern philosophies has perpetrated a great disservice to the grand thinkers of Western thought who are in every way equals to the now presently more oft cited Buddha, Confucius, et al. The stoics and Epictetus in particular offer the modern reader a reminder that great ancient minds have been asking—and answering—the same deep questions vex us moderns. This book, like all philosophers' offerings, is not an exhaustive remedy to our modern ailments but more than ample to genesis a new lasting peace and confidence in oneself and their life yet to be lived. And it is arranged in a way to afford you brisk guidance for how best think and behave for a life that flourishes.
One person found this helpful
 Report
Report an issue

Does this item contain inappropriate content?
Report
Do you believe that this item violates a copyright?
Report
Does this item contain quality or formatting issues?
Report