--- product_id: 251814138 title: "Random House Books for Young Readers On the Shortness of Life: Life Is Long If You Know How to Use It" price: "101.41 DT" currency: TND in_stock: true reviews_count: 5 url: https://www.desertcart.tn/products/251814138-random-house-books-for-young-readers-on-the-shortness-life store_origin: TN region: Tunisia --- # 4.7/5 rating - highly acclaimed Published 2005 - timeless wisdom Paperback - portable philosophy Random House Books for Young Readers On the Shortness of Life: Life Is Long If You Know How to Use It **Price:** 101.41 DT **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Summary > ⏳ Own your time, own your future — wisdom that never goes out of style. ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Random House Books for Young Readers On the Shortness of Life: Life Is Long If You Know How to Use It - **How much does it cost?** 101.41 DT with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.tn](https://www.desertcart.tn/products/251814138-random-house-books-for-young-readers-on-the-shortness-life) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Key Features - • **Proven Reader Favorite:** 4.7-star rating with nearly 800 reviews—join a thriving community of thoughtful readers. - • **Actionable Life Lessons:** Transform procrastination into productivity with Seneca’s powerful time-management philosophy. - • **Portable Intellectual Fuel:** Lightweight paperback format perfect for on-the-go reflection and growth. - • **Ethics & Morality Masterclass:** Ranked top 150 in Western Philosophy and Ethics—ideal for managers shaping ethical workplaces. - • **Timeless Philosophical Insight:** Seneca’s ancient wisdom reframed for modern leaders seeking clarity in chaos. ## Overview On the Shortness of Life by Seneca, published by Penguin in 2005, is a highly rated paperback that distills ancient Stoic philosophy into practical guidance for mastering time and living purposefully. With a 4.7-star average from nearly 800 reviews, this book is a must-read for professionals eager to optimize their life and leadership through timeless ethical insights. ## Description Throughout history, some books have changed the world. They have transformed the way we see ourselves―and each other. They have inspired debate, dissent, war and revolution. They have enlightened, out Review: Goodbook - Good book but ordered a new version. This one is old English. Review: For $7, definitely worth it. But the better question is, is it worth your time? - I just started getting into reading philosophy and self help books. It's quite amazing how these people were so ahead of their time in terms of thinking. Seneca makes some great points. I like how he brings up the preoccupied people who are only concerned with the present, who don't realize how long they have until it's too late because they never realize how much time has passed and the uncertainty of the future. It's like pouring water in a cup with no bottom. How can you know how much water was poured when it isn't filling up but instead going right through the cup? At the same time, how do you know when the water will cease to flow? That's why it's so important to keep perspective of time. Don't just live in the moment. Understand the context of the moment. He stresses the importance of examining your past because it is solidified and unchangeable. There, you are able to observe those things you did well and those you didn't do well, so that you can make changes in the present to live a more productive and efficient life. He sums it up very astutely and simplistically with the little poem, "Life's finest day for wretched mortals here Is always first to flee." I also liked the quote from page 27 when he says "we lose the day in waiting for the night and the night in fearing for the dawn." He is saying we are waiting for the perfect moment, or the moment of joy and pleasure. But in waiting we lose all the time preceding that moment. And as soon as the moment comes we fear it's end. It's a constant vicious cycle and we can never win. Another great quote is on page 5 when he says "the greatest obstacle to living is expectancy, which hangs upon tomorrow and loses today. Very powerful insight. It's like we're waiting and waiting and hoping whatever we want comes our way, but in doing that, we lose the time at hand. Plus, waiting and hoping something works out is putting your money on the future which is uncertain. That's why expecting something to happen is not enough, because you're betting on luck instead of making it happen through the action you take. As Abraham Lincoln said, "the best way to predict the future is to create it." There are many great quotes but the last one I will share is on page 56 when he says "No man is despised by another unless he is first despised by himself. An object and debased mind is susceptible to such insult; but if a man stirs himself to face the worst of disasters and defeats the evils which overwhelm others, then he wears those very sorrows like a sacred badge. For we are naturally disposed to admire more than anything else the man who shows fortitude in adversity." I think what he's basically saying is that you need to love yourself before anyone else can love you. People will show you the amount of love in proportion to the amount of love you give yourself. The two quotes that come to mind that relate are "those who stand for nothing will fall for anything" and "if there is no enemy within, the enemy outside can do no harm." If you conquer the worst of your fears, the same fears that destroys others, then you will take pride in the very thing that you feared, and people will admire and respect that you had the guts to face it, instead of chastising and scorning you. So you should feel no shame in your problems for they are the very thing that will earn you the admiration of others if you are able to conquer them, but more importantly, it will strengthen you and help you grow as a person. His other quote that piggy backs off that is "If a great man falls and remains great as he lies, people no more despise him than they stamp on a fallen temple, which the devout still warship as much as when it was standing." In other words, it's not about what happens to you or how you fall, but about how your react and carry yourself, and your character, that will resonate with others. Anyway these are just some examples of the bits of wisdom Seneca offers. Overall, there is some timeless wisdom in his essay and I believe it is worth your time to read it. ## Features - Binding: Paperback Brand: Penguin books Language: English Manufacturer: Penguin books Publication date: 2005-09-06T00:00:01Z ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #40,595 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #120 in Ethics & Morality #137 in Western Philosophy #221 in Philosophy Movements | | Customer Reviews | 4.7 out of 5 stars 797 Reviews | ## Images ![Random House Books for Young Readers On the Shortness of Life: Life Is Long If You Know How to Use It - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51lHtfG673L.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Goodbook *by L***. on 6 April 2023* Good book but ordered a new version. This one is old English. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ For $7, definitely worth it. But the better question is, is it worth your time? *by M***L on 7 July 2015* I just started getting into reading philosophy and self help books. It's quite amazing how these people were so ahead of their time in terms of thinking. Seneca makes some great points. I like how he brings up the preoccupied people who are only concerned with the present, who don't realize how long they have until it's too late because they never realize how much time has passed and the uncertainty of the future. It's like pouring water in a cup with no bottom. How can you know how much water was poured when it isn't filling up but instead going right through the cup? At the same time, how do you know when the water will cease to flow? That's why it's so important to keep perspective of time. Don't just live in the moment. Understand the context of the moment. He stresses the importance of examining your past because it is solidified and unchangeable. There, you are able to observe those things you did well and those you didn't do well, so that you can make changes in the present to live a more productive and efficient life. He sums it up very astutely and simplistically with the little poem, "Life's finest day for wretched mortals here Is always first to flee." I also liked the quote from page 27 when he says "we lose the day in waiting for the night and the night in fearing for the dawn." He is saying we are waiting for the perfect moment, or the moment of joy and pleasure. But in waiting we lose all the time preceding that moment. And as soon as the moment comes we fear it's end. It's a constant vicious cycle and we can never win. Another great quote is on page 5 when he says "the greatest obstacle to living is expectancy, which hangs upon tomorrow and loses today. Very powerful insight. It's like we're waiting and waiting and hoping whatever we want comes our way, but in doing that, we lose the time at hand. Plus, waiting and hoping something works out is putting your money on the future which is uncertain. That's why expecting something to happen is not enough, because you're betting on luck instead of making it happen through the action you take. As Abraham Lincoln said, "the best way to predict the future is to create it." There are many great quotes but the last one I will share is on page 56 when he says "No man is despised by another unless he is first despised by himself. An object and debased mind is susceptible to such insult; but if a man stirs himself to face the worst of disasters and defeats the evils which overwhelm others, then he wears those very sorrows like a sacred badge. For we are naturally disposed to admire more than anything else the man who shows fortitude in adversity." I think what he's basically saying is that you need to love yourself before anyone else can love you. People will show you the amount of love in proportion to the amount of love you give yourself. The two quotes that come to mind that relate are "those who stand for nothing will fall for anything" and "if there is no enemy within, the enemy outside can do no harm." If you conquer the worst of your fears, the same fears that destroys others, then you will take pride in the very thing that you feared, and people will admire and respect that you had the guts to face it, instead of chastising and scorning you. So you should feel no shame in your problems for they are the very thing that will earn you the admiration of others if you are able to conquer them, but more importantly, it will strengthen you and help you grow as a person. His other quote that piggy backs off that is "If a great man falls and remains great as he lies, people no more despise him than they stamp on a fallen temple, which the devout still warship as much as when it was standing." In other words, it's not about what happens to you or how you fall, but about how your react and carry yourself, and your character, that will resonate with others. Anyway these are just some examples of the bits of wisdom Seneca offers. Overall, there is some timeless wisdom in his essay and I believe it is worth your time to read it. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ An interesting, light, but not easy to read artwork *by J***A on 10 May 2023* I find this topic very interesting, and I appreciate greatly the work behind this works of art, pieces of knowledge that everybody should consider reading, to reinterpret and reflect upon life. It is quite a challenge for me, its unique old-fashioned writing style can make you read twice before comprehending, so I advice everyone to do it with an online dictionary in front of them, not only you are going to read a complete masterpiece that will make you question in what you aim for in life but among the journey you will discover new, enrichened vocabulary. ## Frequently Bought Together - On the Shortness of Life: Life Is Long if You Know How to Use It (Penguin Great Ideas) - Meditations --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.tn/products/251814138-random-house-books-for-young-readers-on-the-shortness-life](https://www.desertcart.tn/products/251814138-random-house-books-for-young-readers-on-the-shortness-life) --- *Product available on Desertcart Tunisia* *Store origin: TN* *Last updated: 2026-08-25*