By Daniel Klein
I read this for my book club (The Mules) in October and (very) briefly reviewed it then here on the blog. It’s part “Dummies’ Guide to Western Philosophy” and part a casually philosophical memoir about finding fulfillment in old age.
Daniel Klein’s thesis is that there is a time for everything in life, and old age is a time for slowing down, embracing the simple pleasures (like an Epicurean would), and preparing for the inevitable. He eschews the modern tendency to resist this natural stage of life by trying to look and act like you did and could when you were 20 and 30 years younger.
What I Liked About It: I liked the attempt to define Epicureanism and to bring in the ideas of other philosophers, which made for a more interesting read.
What I Didn’t Like: I agreed with Klein that a man my age should accept with equanimity the fact that he cannot do everything he once could and should learn to enjoy the many wonderful things that life still offers. But I did not buy his idea that to do the former, one needs to abandon ambition and the hard work it takes to achieve ambitious goals. The right balance in life – and I think this is especially true for people who have accomplished a great deal in their careers – is a mixture of both.
