Infinite Books

The question “how to be” is perhaps the most essential question humans have been trying to answer since our conscious existence on Earth began. Adam Nicolson’s book with the same title takes us into the world of ancient Greeks and shines a new light on the famous philosophers, thinkers, and ordinary citizens of those distant lands.

This book was a pleasure to read, mainly because of the author’s beautiful language, supported by extensive research, and excellent knowledge of the subjects. It can be devoured on many levels. The philosophical ideas are not scholarly exercises in disputing the meaning of life but are clearly explained in an easy-to-understand way, with numerous rather brilliant examples. Many times I caught myself thinking, “Oh, I didn’t know that!” and was delighted to learn, for instance, that Pythagoras was not the author of the well-known mathematical theorem; moreover, that he never wrote a word but was a highly inspirational figure, with many followers. Another discovery was reading about Sybarites, whose love of pleasures transferred into our adjective “sybaritic,” and learning that “they banned noisy occupations such as blacksmithing, carpentry and chicken keeping from within the limits of the city.” Putting my noise-canceling headphones on as the construction work on a nearby building resumed on Monday, I couldn’t resist thinking what a great idea it was.

I became immersed in learning details about Sappho, whose poetry I’ve been adoring, and who is described as a beautiful, sensitive woman with incomparable artistry of words (examples of her poems are included, with explanation). I enjoyed reading about Homer, Odysseus, and Zeno; as a matter of fact, I enjoyed reading about all the philosophers. And the details! Describing tiny coins, or beautiful vases, supported by illustrations, conveys the everyday day life of the ancient Greeks. But it’s not just the artifacts that teach us about their owners. Adam Nicolson talks about social relations, at some point emphasizing slavery and explaining its impact.

“How to Be” is one of those books I want to return to repeatedly because I feel that reading about the world of the ancient Greeks and discovering their ideas connect us with the history of Western culture and helps us understand our world. We can learn from those people who lived many centuries ago and yet who seem to be not so “ancient” after all.

HOW TO BE: Life Lessons from the Early Greeks, by Adam Nicolson, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2023