Consolations of Philosophy

Alain de Botton

How philosophy helps us in life

The title of this book could have been: Philosophy as Psychotherapy. This remarkable book will make us feel wonderfully good in a good way, with equal standards of wit and wisdom.
When they asked Socrates where he came from, he did not say "from Athens", but "from the world". (Montaigne)
We should not be embarrassed by our afflictions, for it is only through our failures that all things grow It's beautiful... (Nietzsche)
What causes unhappiness... is the pursuit of happiness with the sure assumption that we will find it in life... Young people will gain much if they can rid their minds of the mistaken notion that the world has a great deal to offer us. (Schopenhauer)
Bouton, taking philosophy to its simplest and most important goal: to help us live our lives. (The Independent)