Listen to "How to Think Like Socrates"
And download your free PDF Guide
My latest book, How to Think Like Socrates, has now been rated by over a hundred listeners on Audible, where it has 4.8 stars, and has been getting great reviews. You can listen to a sample from one of the chapters there.
I wrote this book primarily to be listened to, in audiobook format. I narrated it myself at d’Aragon Studio in Montreal, where a team of four of us worked on the production. My friend, the classicist Lalya Lloyd coached me in the pronunciation of over 250 ancient Greek words and phrases!
We wanted to make this book a bit more dramatic than How to Think Like Socrates. It retells the story of Socrates, who fought in three major battles of the Peloponnesian War, survived the Plague of Athens, and lived through the political drama as the fledgling Athenian democracy collapsed into civil war and eventually the dictatorship of the Thirty Tyrants. Selections from the Socratic dialogues of Plato and Xenophon are woven into the story, revealing the Socratic Method, and the philosophy of Socrates, in the form of dialogues, which I integrate with principles from modern psychology and cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT).
You can also download this free PDF guide to the book, using the link below.
What experts said…
“One of the best books ever written on the power and practicality of philosophy for a good and successful life! Wisdom isn’t a rulebook but a mindset. It develops from a life of honest and courageous inquiry. Donald J. Robertson masterfully and vividly takes us back to the Athens of Socrates and recreates the setting as well as the powerful ideas that one place, time, and person launched into the world forever. It’s an introduction to philosophy as a way of life that’s as gripping as any novel, and is as novel as a philosophy book can be. Highly recommended!” —Tom Morris, author of If Aristotle Ran General Motors, The Oasis Within, and Plato’s Lemonade Stand, coauthor of Stoicism for Dummies
“Robertson creates a wonderful semi-fictionalized Socrates to introduce modern readers to the birth of philosophy in Athens. We experience first-hand the method Socrates made famous—of subjecting our deepest beliefs to a cross-examination that jolts and stings like an electric ray. In our modern world that swirls with half-truths and disinformation, we need nothing less to awaken us from our illusions.” —Nancy Sherman, author of Stoic Wisdom: Ancient Lessons for Modern Resilience
“An intriguing and original book, engagingly written and highly accessible. It is innovative both in linking the Socratic dialogues, especially those of Plato, with their historical context and in highlighting the significance of Socratic philosophical enquiry for modern readers. The connection made between Socratic method and CBT psychotherapeutic guidance is particularly suggestive.” —Chris Gill, Professor Emeritus of Ancient Thought, Exeter University, and author of Learning to Live Naturally: Stoic Ethics and its Modern Significance
“A fresh and original introduction to the figure of Socrates, blending philosophy, history, and psychotherapy. Robertson invites readers to take up the Socratic method of self-examination and to embrace a life guided by rational reflection.” —John Sellars, reader in philosophy at Royal Holloway, University of London and author of The Pocket Stoic
“Don Robertson is your trusty and insightful guide to the life, times, and thought of the most important philosopher in the western tradition.” —Massimo Pigliucci, author of How to Be a Stoic
“Robertson draws incisive links between modern psychotherapy and ancient philosophy, bringing Socratic dialogues to life through colorful narration and detail. It’s a creative look at the enduring relevance of an ancient thinker.” —Publishers Weekly
