In A Guide to the Good Life, William B. Irvine introduces the philosophy of life called Stoicism in a very approachable, clear and organized way. This book fuels my quest to be stoic and is the primary source of all my knowledge—for now.

The book explains the various elements and principals of stoicism, their historical context and examples of how they may be applied in modern living. I haven’t yet read any other philosophy texts, but I can say this was an easy to read and understand book. Irvine has received praise for his prose and he has an ability to spell things out in clear, natural language—not what you might expect from an academic.

There are certainly other books and sources of information on stoicism out there, but if you are the least bit curious about stoicism and like a place to start—other than here—I’d suggest starting with A Guide to the Good Life.