The Big Questions: How Philosophy Can Change Your Life [Hardcover]

Lou Marinoff (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 16, 2003

From the author of the international bestseller Plato Not Prozac!, a vital guide to the art of living.

Professor Lou Marinoff's first book drew on the wisdom of the great philosophers to solve our everyday problems, launching a movement that restored philosophy to what it once was: useful in all walks of life. Now, in The Big Questions, he takes the concept to the next level, applying centuries of philosophy and great literature to answer central questions of modern existence.

Urging us not to accept victimhood as the by-product of modern life, Professor Marinoff uses specific case studies from his counseling practice to show how wisdom from the great thinkers can help us define our own philosophy, and thereby reclaim our sense of well-being. He asks and answers questions that go to the heart of the human condition: How do we know what is right? How can we cope with change? Why can't we all get along? And, most centrally, how can we use the centuries of wisdom that have come before us to help us answer these questions and feel at ease in the world?

Accessible, entertaining, and profoundly useful, The Big Questions mixes wisdom from the great thinkers with specific case studies to illuminate how a shift in perspective can truly be life changing.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Lou Marinoff is a fellow pilgrim, always ready to tell the story that hasn't been told, always ready to take the risks that haven't been taken."-Paulo Coelho, author of The Alchemist

"Bracing, bold, expansive, easy to understand, companiable, and dare I say it, highly therapeutic."-Phyllis Chesler, Ph.D., author of Woman's Inhumanity to Woman

"This is therapy for the thoughtful."-Arlene Getz, Newsweek

"One of the prime movers behind the contemporary phenomenon of philosophical counseling."-Tom Morris, Ph.D., author of Philosophy for Dummies and The Art of Achievement

"Guiding the reader through the finest work of the human mind. Problem-solving becomes an uplifting adventure."-Laura Huxley, author of You Are Not the Target and This Timeless Moment

"A must-read, Therapy for the Sane shows that philosophy is as essential to a healthy mind as food and water are to a healthy body."-William Irwin, Ph.D., editor of The Matrix and Philosophy

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Publisher

Praise for Plato, Not Prozac!:
"What exactly is philosophical practice? Marinoff calls it 'therapy for the sane.' In a nutshell, it's using the 2,500-year-old tradition of philosophy to solve everyday problems, like work, relationship and family issues. It's a return to what philosophy was meant to be - a guideline for a way of life."-Salon
"Plato, Not Prozac! looks to become the bible of the 'philosophical counseling' movement." -Philadelphia Inquirer Magazine "The ancient thinkers often characterized philosophy as 'medicine for the soul.' Marinoff provides a generous dose throughout these lively pages. I highly recommend it!"-Tom Morris, Ph.D., author of Philosophy for Dummies

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Bloomsbury USA; 1ST edition (May 16, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1582342539
• ISBN-13: 978-1582342535
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.6 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,422,943 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Chapter 2: Ethics in Everyday Life, June 3, 2003

By 

William A Bradnan - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Big Questions: How Philosophy Can Change Your Life (Hardcover)

Once in a great while in my reading, I come across a gem, and Chapter 2 of Lou Marinoff's new book is just one such! It is the best summarization of ethics for the layman, you might say, that I have come across. The distinction between ethical relativism and meta-ethical relativism was especially nicely done.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars i really like this book, June 18, 2004

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Therapy for the Sane (Paperback)

having only read half of this book i can still say that these reviews make no sense to me (being way too negative). This book is not just a guide to philisophy it is also a guide to how to live your life. In doing the latter it is a phenominal help to any rational and intelligent person. Half way through the book i have already taken some of marinoff's advise and, surprising to me, numerous people have already commented how much happier i seem. I guess the question should really be whether or not you are willing to face the bigger issues in your life. if you are, this book will help. if not, look at psychology and fixate on the micro-issues. What can i say, i really like the book?

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very interesting read, April 21, 2005

By 

Amanda Rae Walker (Louisville, KY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Big Questions: How Philosophy Can Change Your Life (Hardcover)

I found this book to be interesting as well as thought-provoking. The author had each chapter listed as a question that he has found to be relevant to our lives at one point or another, such as "What is Love?", "Are You Offended, Or Are You Harmed?", "Must You Suffer?", and "How can You Handle Change?".

In each chapter, the author explains how using philosophy can help you to answer these questions and apply them to your life in order to make positive changes within. He gives readers a new way to look at certain situations, like just because you are offended by someone, does not mean that any harm has been caused to you. You have the power to accept the offense or let it go. The author also gives examples of real-life situations taken from clients of his philosophical counseling practice. He applies what he has taught in each chapter to an event that we can understand more fully and how the process of using philosophy really can change your life.