Travels with Epicurus: A Journey to a Greek Island in Search of a Fulfilled Life

This book was especially enjoyable and relevant to me because I am 71 and have been musing over many of the issues that Klein addresses. I was gratified that he was willing to share his insights and uncertainties about how to not only best live these last years (the old years before the old old years set in) but also the controversial issue of the afterlife. The very thoughtful (yet sometimes irreverent) and mellow tone of his ramblings on living and dying, not surprising for a philosophical guy, and his frequent references to how the heavyweights weighed in on these pithy issues, was enlightening and thought provoking. As we approach our twilight years, it is inevitable that we mull over many of the questions that Klein poses. I found the book to be a great read and recommend it unequivocally. The only bone that I pick with Klein's thesis is that he seems a bit too willing to be and to act "old". He is somewhat dismissive of the "forever young" approach to this period in our lives. If, by that, he is referring to plastic surgery, Botox and hair dying, especially for men, then I would tend to agree. However, out here in SoCal, we think more in terms of being forever fit...there is a big difference. Forever fit means a better, more enjoyable life style, a greater appreciation of outdoor activities and more enjoyable social activities. There is still a place for quiet contemplation, listening to music and book reading but is must be balanced. And, hopefully, forever fit means postponing the onset of those dreaded old old years.

Daniel Klein is a clear and engaging writer and popularizer of philosophy: what he serves us here is a travelogue on Greek island life and meditation on aging. It ranges somewhere between travel writing and Montaigne's essays. While it uses Epicurus (and even the Stoics) as a launching a point, you don't learn much about Epicureanism between simple ethical maxims here. Klein is engaging and humane enough that this only mildly annoyed me. After all, he said it was travels with Epicurus more than an understanding of Epicureanism, so he delivered on what he set out to do, but I kept wanting him to go deeper with the philosophy or more expansive with the memoir elements. What it lacked in rigor, it made up for in breadth: references to the entire history of Western philosophy with cameo appearances from Asian philosophy come as launch points for contrasting with Epicurus or for reflecting on aging gracefully. It's enjoyable and good if you are want light-but-humanistic-reading to having you dig into heavier philosophy, but it's not really an introduction to Epicureanism in specific or philosophy in general.

"Travels with Epicurus" is a superb book—stimulating, sagacious, funny, very well-written—a fascinating exploration of how to live wisely in old age. Dan Klein, the author, distinguishes between "old age" and "old old age." I distinguish between "old age" and "decline." We mean the same thing. In old age, one remains healthy enough to live fully. "Travels with Epicurus" is an unpredictable, charming ramble into what "living fully" in old age can mean. The book weaves together philosophers, especially the fascinating Epicurus, with tales of the author's return to Hydra, where he'd lived forty years earlier, and the author's personal insights into what truly matters when old. What does not matter, he argues persuasively, is continued striving or trying to remain"forever young." What matters include the pleasures of friends and companionship, including a mate, and mental pleasures. Even when I quarrel with the author, I appreciate that's he's provoked me to ponder and reflect. He states that old age can be the pinnacle of life. I'm dubious. I can no longer play basketball, which I loved for almost sixty years; without basketball, how can my old age be a pinnacle? Still, the author asks the right questions about old age, from exploring what positives spirituality can actually offer to how one deals with sexuality. Integral to the book is the author's lively wit and sharp sense of humor. A book that is wise, delightfully-original, funny and concise. Can't do better than that.

Seems like the author is just beginning to find out about old age and how mature men react to this. You don't have to go to Greece to see old men and what we do is still very much alive in America-go to Barnes and Noble and see the old men drinking coffee and playing card games OR Central Park to see the chess games. Still ha some excellent points in it and it's worth your time to read it. He didn't capture the spirit of old age- e.g. the sheer joy of playing and interacting with ones grandchildren as an endeavor for us

I got this book to read on a trip to Hydra in Greece. Not only did I fall more in love with this place and this people, but I learned a bit about philosophy, mindfulness, and living the good life. What a privilege to read this book.

Daniel Klein is an old man. This a self-identification. There is no objective tipping point at which someone goes from not old to old, but Klein figures that at the age of 73 he more than qualifies, and it doesn’t bother him a bit. In this book, he spends some time on the Greek island of Hydra to sort through some of his thoughts on old age, mortality, philosophy, leisure, friendship, and assorted other topics that might occur to a man of 73 surrounded by the sights and associations of a small island populated by people who, as Klein describes them, seem to have philosophy in their blood. Klein’s message is this: Familiarity with philosophy, and particularly with the Greek philosopher Epicurus, whose chief concern was how to life a good and happy life, is the best guide to negotiating the uncertainties surrounding old age. Rather than denying biology and pursuing eternal youth, it is much healthier (mentally, emotionally, maybe spiritually) to embrace old age and its pleasures. These pleasures are not substitutes for, or watered-down versions of, the pleasures of youth. They are instead mature pleasures that must have a lifetime of experience behind them to be enjoyed. One of these is a different way of remembering. Drawing on the psychologist Erik Erikson, Klein maintains that “mature and wise ways of reminiscing are precisely what we need in an authentic old age” (p. 74). He doesn’t argue that old men should just sit around reminiscing. His point is that one should enjoy what old age has to offer. There is nothing to be feared. It’s what he describes as “old old age” that is the real unpleasantness. But as with youth, middle age, and old age, there is no definitive point at which one stage ends and another begins, and a good supply of philosophical texts can help make sense of it all. The gist of Klein’s philosophical explorations is captured in two passages, one from Epicurus and one from the Roman stoic Seneca (demonstrating Klein’s point that philosophy is a good guide to life). Epicurus: “Not what we have, but what we enjoy, constitutes our abundance” (p. xi). Seneca: “The wise man . . . always reflects concerning the quality, not the quantity, of his life” (p. 128). Klein offers a gentle and humane reflection on the pleasures of philosophy, of companionship, of good conversation, and some of the other pleasures that await the mindful old man. So take heart. There is life after middle age!

An enchanting look at 'old' age for all who grew up Babyboomers. Many of us lost what he has retained - the wonder of living! He is a wonderfully educated man...not from the classroom but from his lifelong encounters with the greatest philosophers, poets and writers we have the privilege to 'meet'. His personal opinions of the "greats" demonstrates an inquiring but free mind. All this with the dry sometimes cynical sense of humor in his collaborations with Thomas Cathcart - "Heidegger and a Hippo.....Plato and a Platypus..." this is a book worth reading not only to appreciate this interesting mind but to look a little into our own.

As a mid-seventies'-year-old man, I found Klein's book, relating the wisdom of Epicurus to his own search for the meaning and good sense of "being old", a most thoughtful and, for me, exhilarating read. This delightfully witty book reads easily but still contains challenging ideas about the question, as he asks, of "what is the best way for an old man to live?" His own personal answers are both appealing and true to my own life. GOOD book! I've bought, in addition to my own copy, three others for friends around my age. They found it terrific too. Also, the delivery of the package was right on time.

Daniel Klein December 2018 Another book I have just reread for the second time with a different focus from my first reading. Originally I was more interested in the "travel" aspect, but now my focus was much more on Epicurus, his philosophy, and the authors experiences in Greece seen through an Epicurean lens. Here is an early paragraph from the book: "I have returned to this Greek island on a personal quest: I am an old man myself now—seventy-three—and I want to figure out the most satisfying way to live this stage of my life. Having spent, over the years, several extended periods in Greece, I believe I may find some clues in the way old people live here. The old folks of Hydra have always struck me as uncommonly content with their stage in life." The book is very easy to read, you do not have to be an expert on Epicurus. It is not a theoretical textbook on Epicurean philosophy either. It is written as a series of day to day incidents and experiences of the author and a few locals on their island; playing cards, observing a beautiful young woman, a meal together, a walk in the hills. Each is interpreted within the Epicurean way of life and Epicurus’ time in The Garden. One of the central themes that interested me and also made me laugh was the concept of "The Forever Young Brigade", those who have entered old age but who are actually missing out on a fascinating and rewarding life-stage. Here is an excerpt from the book again, then I will explain: "All around me, I saw many of my contemporaries remaining in their prime-of-life vocations, often working harder than ever. Others were setting off on expeditions to exotic destinations, copies of 1,000 Places to See Before You Die tucked in their backpacks. Some were enrolling in classes in conversational French, taking up jogging, and even signing up for cosmetic surgery and youth-enhancing hormone treatments. A friend of mine in her late sixties had not only undergone a face-lift but also elected to have breast implants. And one man my age told me that between his testosterone patch and seventy-two-hour Cialis, he felt like a young buck again. "Forever Young" was my generation’s theme song, and unreflectively I had been singing along with them." In the book, Klein is referring to the work of Erik Erikson (1959) who proposed 8 stages of life, with the final stage having Wisdom as its basic virtue, but with an internal psychological struggle taking place of Ego Integrity vs Despair! It is during this stage that we ALL need to reflect positively on our lives, have a strong sense of satisfaction and pride, accept our current physical limitations, and Klein senses this as revealed in his daily experiences on the Greek island of Hydra. Klein now sees his life in terms of the final two stages without becoming trapped as a member of The Forever Young Brigade! But ….. I don’t want to spoil the book for you by totally revealing the details of this. This book has stopped me in my tracks, made me reflect on a number of very positive aspects to our own lives over the past 10 years we had previously viewed as negative. It has almost made time slow down and become Kairos instead of Chronos with a more existentialist-Epicurean savouring of every moment. Maybe the journey IS more important than the destination….. but that’s a heck of a leap in our case! As to The Forever Young Brigade, it’s become almost a game to spot them on our travels, whether on the beaches of Southern Spain, a cruise ship in the Mediterranean, at the Trevi Fountains in Rome, at the leisure club pool in our Budapest hotel ….. all denying themselves the mindfulness of the moment and their surroundings. Whether you are approaching or entering old age …… or not …. I can highly recommend this book,

Sehr schöne Reflexionen zu den Anstrengungen des Immer-Jung-Kult. Das Buch ist amüsant und ermutigt dazu, so alt zu sein, wie man eben ist. Angestoßen wird das Ganze durch die Empfehlung des Zahnarzt für eine Grundsanierung des Gebisses im Wert eines Kleinwagens, das monatelange, schmerzhafte, Zahnarztgänge bedeuten würde. Unser Held hält inne und fährt erst mal auf eine griechische Insel. Die alten Männer dort sitzen in den Cafés und scheinen würdig alt werden zu dürfen - Moussaka geht auch mit weniger Zähnen!

This book is fantastic. Good printed book. Thanks to Amazon.

J'ai choisi cette note pour la qualité du produit et la fiabilité de la livraison. je recommanderai ce livre et cette formule d'achat à tout lecteur sérieux.

Far more than a journey to the sublime Aegean island of Hydra (and it is indeed that also), Travels with Epicurus is an honest look at life that places rightful value and relevance on the latter stages of life. As some in her mid 40's, I loved this book and have gifted it to those in those latter stages, who have said the book had a huge impact on them. This book is a treasure of insight and wisdom.