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SoBrief
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Plato at the Googleplex
by Rebecca Goldstein • 2014
Plato, alive today, would walk into Google and ask questions Silicon Valley still cannot answer.
3.85
2k+
Plato at the Googleplex Summary
Plato at the Googleplex 92%
Plato, alive today, would walk into Google and ask questions Silicon Valley still cannot answer.
by Rebecca Goldstein 2014
3.85
2k+ ratings
Ancient Greece
by Thomas R. Martin • 1992
A journey from the Minoans to Alexander, explaining how Greece shaped the Western world.
3.98
3k+
Ancient Greece Summary
Ancient Greece 91%
A journey from the Minoans to Alexander, explaining how Greece shaped the Western world.
by Thomas R. Martin 1992
3.98
3k+ ratings
Early Socratic Dialogues
by Plato
Virtue is knowledge, wickedness is ignorance, and Socrates proved that no one in Athens had either.
4.05
417
Early Socratic Dialogues Summary
Early Socratic Dialogues 91%
Virtue is knowledge, wickedness is ignorance, and Socrates proved that no one in Athens had either.
by Plato
4.05
417 ratings
Sailing the Wine-Dark Sea
by Thomas Cahill • 2004
Greek soldiers, poets, thinkers assembled the Western mind. Their answers remain our questions.
3.75
3k+
Sailing the Wine-Dark Sea Summary
Sailing the Wine-Dark Sea 91%
Greek soldiers, poets, thinkers assembled the Western mind. Their answers remain our questions.
by Thomas Cahill 2004
3.75
3k+ ratings
Ancient Philosophy
by Julia Annas • 2001
Why ancient ideas about happiness, knowledge, and nature still challenge our modern assumptions.
3.64
853
Ancient Philosophy Summary
Ancient Philosophy 91%
Why ancient ideas about happiness, knowledge, and nature still challenge our modern assumptions.
by Julia Annas 2001
3.64
853 ratings
Carmide
by Plato
What is temperance? The pursuit leads Socrates to ask whether knowledge can study only itself.
3.53
2k+
Carmide Summary
Carmide 91%
What is temperance? The pursuit leads Socrates to ask whether knowledge can study only itself.
by Plato
3.53
2k+ ratings
Ética a Nicómaco. Ética a Eudemo
by Aristotle • 2019
Happiness is an activity of character, practiced over a lifetime, not a feeling you stumble into.
4.23
197
Ética a Nicómaco. Ética a Eudemo Summary
Ética a Nicómaco. Ética a Eudemo 91%
Happiness is an activity of character, practiced over a lifetime, not a feeling you stumble into.
by Aristotle 2019
4.23
197 ratings
Conversations of Socrates
by Xenophon
The Socrates who masters desire, runs a household, and believes the gods care about virtue
4.04
3k+
Conversations of Socrates Summary
Conversations of Socrates 91%
The Socrates who masters desire, runs a household, and believes the gods care about virtue
by Xenophon
4.04
3k+ ratings
The Rhetoric & The Poetics of Aristotle
by Aristotle
Persuasion is a system, not a gift: the rules for character, emotion, and logical proof.
4.00
2k+
The Rhetoric & The Poetics of Aristotle Summary
The Rhetoric & The Poetics of Aristotle 91%
Persuasion is a system, not a gift: the rules for character, emotion, and logical proof.
by Aristotle
4.00
2k+ ratings
Eureka!
by Peter V. Jones • 2014
Never a nation, always a competition. The story of ancient Greece that skips the boring parts.
3.53
445
Eureka! Summary
Eureka! 91%
Never a nation, always a competition. The story of ancient Greece that skips the boring parts.
by Peter V. Jones 2014
3.53
445 ratings
Ancient Philosophy
by Anthony Kenny • 2004
The questions the ancient Greeks asked still define philosophy, and still resist easy answers.
3.95
580
Ancient Philosophy Summary
Ancient Philosophy 91%
The questions the ancient Greeks asked still define philosophy, and still resist easy answers.
by Anthony Kenny 2004
3.95
580 ratings
The Symposium
by Plato
Seven Athenians compete to define love. Socrates enters and shows it's a hunger for what you lack.
4.09
92k+
The Symposium Summary
The Symposium 91%
Seven Athenians compete to define love. Socrates enters and shows it's a hunger for what you lack.
by Plato
4.09
92k+ ratings
The Nicomachean Ethics
by Aristotle
You become virtuous by acting virtuously. The original manual for the well-lived life.
4.00
61k+
The Nicomachean Ethics Summary
The Nicomachean Ethics 91%
You become virtuous by acting virtuously. The original manual for the well-lived life.
by Aristotle
4.00
61k+ ratings
Socrates
by Paul Johnson • 2011
The original rulebreaker's guide to a meaningful life, from the man who died asking questions.
3.73
2k+
Socrates Summary
Socrates 91%
The original rulebreaker's guide to a meaningful life, from the man who died asking questions.
by Paul Johnson 2011
3.73
2k+ ratings
The Trial and Death of Socrates
by Plato
Athens tried its greatest thinker. He turned a death sentence into philosophy's founding argument.
4.12
46k+
The Trial and Death of Socrates Summary
The Trial and Death of Socrates 90%
Athens tried its greatest thinker. He turned a death sentence into philosophy's founding argument.
by Plato
4.12
46k+ ratings
Poetics
by Aristotle
Plot is everything. Character is secondary. The ancient blueprint for a tragedy that devastates.
3.83
30k+
Poetics Summary
Poetics 90%
Plot is everything. Character is secondary. The ancient blueprint for a tragedy that devastates.
by Aristotle
3.83
30k+ ratings
Mythology
by Edith Hamilton • 1942
Greeks humanized gods; monsters became metaphors. The stories that built the Western mind.
4.04
60k+
Mythology Summary
Mythology 90%
Greeks humanized gods; monsters became metaphors. The stories that built the Western mind.
by Edith Hamilton 1942
4.04
60k+ ratings
A History of Ancient Greece in Fifty Lives
by David Stuttard • 2014
From Homer to Plutarch, fifty Greek lives reveal a civilization built on myth, war, and reinvention.
3.82
233
A History of Ancient Greece in Fifty Lives Summary
A History of Ancient Greece in Fifty Lives 90%
From Homer to Plutarch, fifty Greek lives reveal a civilization built on myth, war, and reinvention.
by David Stuttard 2014
3.82
233 ratings
A History of Ancient Greece
by Eric H. Cline • 2006
Before Rome, Greece invented the West. Then Athens and Sparta tore it apart.
3.91
163
A History of Ancient Greece Summary
A History of Ancient Greece 90%
Before Rome, Greece invented the West. Then Athens and Sparta tore it apart.
by Eric H. Cline 2006
3.91
163 ratings
The Socratic Dialogues
by Plato • 2009
From cave shadows to the form of beauty: the conversations that built Western philosophy.
3.94
141
The Socratic Dialogues Summary
The Socratic Dialogues 90%
From cave shadows to the form of beauty: the conversations that built Western philosophy.
by Plato 2009
3.94
141 ratings
Aristotle
by John Sellars • 2023
An ancient toolkit for thought: why Aristotle's logic, ethics, and politics never went out of style.
3.95
232
Aristotle Summary
Aristotle 90%
An ancient toolkit for thought: why Aristotle's logic, ethics, and politics never went out of style.
by John Sellars 2023
3.95
232 ratings
The Republic
by Plato
Why be just when no one is watching? A 2,500-year-old Socratic answer that built Western philosophy.
3.97
228k+
The Republic Summary
The Republic 90%
Why be just when no one is watching? A 2,500-year-old Socratic answer that built Western philosophy.
by Plato
3.97
228k+ ratings
The Art of Rhetoric
by Aristotle
Persuasion isn't one thing. It's three, and mixing them up loses the audience every time.
3.87
7k+
The Art of Rhetoric Summary
The Art of Rhetoric 90%
Persuasion isn't one thing. It's three, and mixing them up loses the audience every time.
by Aristotle
3.87
7k+ ratings
Kybalion
by Three Initiates • 1912
From gold trinkets to the Aegina marbles: how Greek sculptors learned to make stone breathe.
4.23
17k+
Kybalion Summary
Kybalion 90%
From gold trinkets to the Aegina marbles: how Greek sculptors learned to make stone breathe.
by Three Initiates 1912
4.23
17k+ ratings
Politics
by Aristotle
Every city promises the good life. Aristotle's test for which ones actually deliver it.
3.98
43k+
Politics Summary
Politics 90%
Every city promises the good life. Aristotle's test for which ones actually deliver it.
by Aristotle
3.98
43k+ ratings
Timaeus
by Plato
A living cosmos, a craftsman god, time as forever's copy, Atlantis the proof of power's fall.
3.85
3k+
Timaeus Summary
Timaeus 90%
A living cosmos, a craftsman god, time as forever's copy, Atlantis the proof of power's fall.
by Plato
3.85
3k+ ratings
The Art of Happiness
by Epicurus
The father of hedonism lived on bread and water. His definition of pleasure will change yours.
3.80
6k+
The Art of Happiness Summary
The Art of Happiness 90%
The father of hedonism lived on bread and water. His definition of pleasure will change yours.
by Epicurus
3.80
6k+ ratings
Jag är Zlatan
by Zlatan Ibrahimović • 2011
How the West thought: ten ideas from Plato to Rawls that still shape everything we believe.
3.86
19k+
Jag är Zlatan Summary
Jag är Zlatan 90%
How the West thought: ten ideas from Plato to Rawls that still shape everything we believe.
by Zlatan Ibrahimović 2011
3.86
19k+ ratings
A New History of Western Philosophy
by Anthony Kenny • 2007
Western philosophy, Thales to Wittgenstein: the rare history that gives the medieval era its due.
4.22
520
A New History of Western Philosophy Summary
A New History of Western Philosophy 90%
Western philosophy, Thales to Wittgenstein: the rare history that gives the medieval era its due.
by Anthony Kenny 2007
4.22
520 ratings
On Sparta
by Plutarch
Lycurgus designed a state that produced fearless soldiers. Wealth broke it faster than any enemy.
4.12
2k+
On Sparta Summary
On Sparta 90%
Lycurgus designed a state that produced fearless soldiers. Wealth broke it faster than any enemy.
by Plutarch
4.12
2k+ ratings
Mass and Elite in Democratic Athens
by Josiah Ober • 1989
An ancient democracy defied the drift toward oligarchy. The secret was rhetoric, not rules.
3.71
48
Mass and Elite in Democratic Athens Summary
Mass and Elite in Democratic Athens 90%
An ancient democracy defied the drift toward oligarchy. The secret was rhetoric, not rules.
by Josiah Ober 1989
3.71
48 ratings
From Democrats to Kings
by Michael Scott • 2009
How a brutal, forgotten century of war turned democracies into kingdoms and gave us Alexander.
3.83
249
From Democrats to Kings Summary
From Democrats to Kings 90%
How a brutal, forgotten century of war turned democracies into kingdoms and gave us Alexander.
by Michael Scott 2009
3.83
249 ratings
The Spartans
by Paul Cartledge • 2002
The 300 Spartans died to preserve a system of mass enslavement; heroism and horror were one.
3.78
3k+
The Spartans Summary
The Spartans 90%
The 300 Spartans died to preserve a system of mass enslavement; heroism and horror were one.
by Paul Cartledge 2002
3.78
3k+ ratings
The Death of Socrates and the Life of Philosophy
by Peter J. Ahrensdorf • 1995
Plato's Phaedo rigs its own arguments to fail, forcing readers to reason without a teacher.
3.63
16
The Death of Socrates and the Life of Philosophy Summary
The Death of Socrates and the Life of Philosophy 90%
Plato's Phaedo rigs its own arguments to fail, forcing readers to reason without a teacher.
by Peter J. Ahrensdorf 1995
3.63
16 ratings
Plutarch's Lives
by Plutarch
Plutarch's method: put Greek beside Roman, compare their virtues, let character judge history.
4.10
6k+
Plutarch's Lives Summary
Plutarch's Lives 90%
Plutarch's method: put Greek beside Roman, compare their virtues, let character judge history.
by Plutarch
4.10
6k+ ratings
History of the Peloponnesian War
by Thucydides
Athens rose, Sparta panicked, and a 27-year catastrophe was the only outcome.
3.95
41k+
History of the Peloponnesian War Summary
History of the Peloponnesian War 90%
Athens rose, Sparta panicked, and a 27-year catastrophe was the only outcome.
by Thucydides
3.95
41k+ ratings
Tragedy, the Greeks, and Us
by Simon Critchley • 2019
Greek tragedy's darkest insight: we are not victims of fate. We are its willing accomplices.
3.89
388
Tragedy, the Greeks, and Us Summary
Tragedy, the Greeks, and Us 90%
Greek tragedy's darkest insight: we are not victims of fate. We are its willing accomplices.
by Simon Critchley 2019
3.89
388 ratings
Lords of the Sea
by John R. Hale • 2009
The oar built Athenian democracy. Two centuries later, a lost fleet destroyed it.
4.18
2k+
Lords of the Sea Summary
Lords of the Sea 90%
The oar built Athenian democracy. Two centuries later, a lost fleet destroyed it.
by John R. Hale 2009
4.18
2k+ ratings
What Can Aristotle Do For You?
by Edith Hall • 2018
From decision-making to facing death: Aristotle's twelve practical rules for a flourishing life.
3.68
2k+
What Can Aristotle Do For You? Summary
What Can Aristotle Do For You? 89%
From decision-making to facing death: Aristotle's twelve practical rules for a flourishing life.
by Edith Hall 2018
3.68
2k+ ratings
The Complete World of Greek Mythology
by Richard Buxton • 2004
No fixed canon: Greek myths formed a fluid system of gods, heroes, and rituals, endlessly reshaped.
4.23
2k+
The Complete World of Greek Mythology Summary
The Complete World of Greek Mythology 89%
No fixed canon: Greek myths formed a fluid system of gods, heroes, and rituals, endlessly reshaped.
by Richard Buxton 2004
4.23
2k+ ratings
The Greek Myths
by Robin Waterfield • 2011
All of Greek myth, from creation to homecoming, told as one continuous and vivid story.
3.73
2k+
The Greek Myths Summary
The Greek Myths 89%
All of Greek myth, from creation to homecoming, told as one continuous and vivid story.
by Robin Waterfield 2011
3.73
2k+ ratings
Aristotle's "Best Regime"
by Clifford Angell Bates Jr. • 2002
Aristotle's buried argument: democracy beats kingship when collective wisdom meets law's restraint.
4.80
5
Aristotle's "Best Regime" Summary
Aristotle's "Best Regime" 89%
Aristotle's buried argument: democracy beats kingship when collective wisdom meets law's restraint.
by Clifford Angell Bates Jr. 2002
4.80
5 ratings
The Greeks and the Irrational
by E.R. Dodds • 1951
How a culture that invented reason was also governed by divine madness, ritual guilt, and astrology.
4.20
1k+
The Greeks and the Irrational Summary
The Greeks and the Irrational 89%
How a culture that invented reason was also governed by divine madness, ritual guilt, and astrology.
by E.R. Dodds 1951
4.20
1k+ ratings
Classical Rhetoric for the Modern Student
by Edward P.J. Corbett • 1965
Five steps, three appeals, one ancient toolkit that still wins arguments and moves audiences.
4.18
430
Classical Rhetoric for the Modern Student Summary
Classical Rhetoric for the Modern Student 89%
Five steps, three appeals, one ancient toolkit that still wins arguments and moves audiences.
by Edward P.J. Corbett 1965
4.18
430 ratings
The Plague of War
by Jennifer T. Roberts • 2017
Athens and Sparta destroyed each other in a war neither wanted. The only winner was Macedon.
3.94
179
The Plague of War Summary
The Plague of War 89%
Athens and Sparta destroyed each other in a war neither wanted. The only winner was Macedon.
by Jennifer T. Roberts 2017
3.94
179 ratings
The Last of the Wine
by Mary Renault • 2001
Amid Athens' ruin, a young man's love for a comrade and Socrates' philosophy become his armor.
4.04
7k+
The Last of the Wine Summary
The Last of the Wine 89%
Amid Athens' ruin, a young man's love for a comrade and Socrates' philosophy become his armor.
by Mary Renault 2001
4.04
7k+ ratings
Democracy
by Paul Cartledge • 2016
Ancient democracy meant the poor ruled directly. Modern democracy was built to stop that.
3.80
215
Democracy Summary
Democracy 89%
Ancient democracy meant the poor ruled directly. Modern democracy was built to stop that.
by Paul Cartledge 2016
3.80
215 ratings
War and the Iliad
by Simone Weil • 1940
The Iliad's hero is force: what turns a person into a corpse or a living thing.
4.09
983
War and the Iliad Summary
War and the Iliad 89%
The Iliad's hero is force: what turns a person into a corpse or a living thing.
by Simone Weil 1940
4.09
983 ratings
The Socratic Method
by Ward Farnsworth • 2021
How to outgrow dogmatic thinking with ancient questioning tactics that reveal hidden contradictions.
4.26
1k+
The Socratic Method Summary
The Socratic Method 89%
How to outgrow dogmatic thinking with ancient questioning tactics that reveal hidden contradictions.
by Ward Farnsworth 2021
4.26
1k+ ratings
Stoicism
by John Sellars • 2006
Stoicism began as a unified system of logic, physics, and ethics, not coping advice.
4.12
457
Stoicism Summary
Stoicism 89%
Stoicism began as a unified system of logic, physics, and ethics, not coping advice.
by John Sellars 2006
4.12
457 ratings
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