Travels with Epicurus: A Journey to a Greek Island in Search of a Fulfilled Life Paperback – October 28, 2014

This book was especially enjoyable and relevant to me because I am 71 and have been musing over many of the issues that Klein addresses. I was gratified that he was willing to share his insights and uncertainties about how to not only best live these last years (the old years before the old old years set in) but also the controversial issue of the afterlife. The very thoughtful (yet sometimes irreverent) and mellow tone of his ramblings on living and dying, not surprising for a philosophical guy, and his frequent references to how the heavyweights weighed in on these pithy issues, was enlightening and thought provoking. As we approach our twilight years, it is inevitable that we mull over many of the questions that Klein poses. I found the book to be a great read and recommend it unequivocally.The only bone that I pick with Klein's thesis is that he seems a bit too willing to be and to act "old". He is somewhat dismissive of the "forever young" approach to this period in our lives. If, by that, he is referring to plastic surgery, Botox and hair dying, especially for men, then I would tend to agree. However, out here in SoCal, we think more in terms of being forever fit...there is a big difference. Forever fit means a better, more enjoyable life style, a greater appreciation of outdoor activities and more enjoyable social activities. There is still a place for quiet contemplation, listening to music and book reading but is must be balanced. And, hopefully, forever fit means postponing the onset of those dreaded old old years.

Daniel Klein is a clear and engaging writer and popularizer of philosophy: what he serves us here is a travelogue on Greek island life and meditation on aging. It ranges somewhere between travel writing and Montaigne's essays. While it uses Epicurus (and even the Stoics) as a launching a point, you don't learn much about Epicureanism between simple ethical maxims here. Klein is engaging and humane enough that this only mildly annoyed me. After all, he said it was travels with Epicurus more than an understanding of Epicureanism, so he delivered on what he set out to do, but I kept wanting him to go deeper with the philosophy or more expansive with the memoir elements. What it lacked in rigor, it made up for in breadth: references to the entire history of Western philosophy with cameo appearances from Asian philosophy come as launch points for contrasting with Epicurus or for reflecting on aging gracefully. It's enjoyable and good if you are want light-but-humanistic-reading to having you dig into heavier philosophy, but it's not really an introduction to Epicureanism in specific or philosophy in general.

"Travels with Epicurus" is a superb book—stimulating, sagacious, funny, very well-written—a fascinating exploration of how to live wisely in old age. Dan Klein, the author, distinguishes between "old age" and "old old age." I distinguish between "old age" and "decline." We mean the same thing. In old age, one remains healthy enough to live fully. "Travels with Epicurus" is an unpredictable, charming ramble into what "living fully" in old age can mean.The book weaves together philosophers, especially the fascinating Epicurus, with tales of the author's return to Hydra, where he'd lived forty years earlier, and the author's personal insights into what truly matters when old. What does not matter, he argues persuasively, is continued striving or trying to remain"forever young." What matters include the pleasures of friends and companionship, including a mate, and mental pleasures.Even when I quarrel with the author, I appreciate that's he's provoked me to ponder and reflect. He states that old age can be the pinnacle of life. I'm dubious. I can no longer play basketball, which I loved for almost sixty years; without basketball, how can my old age be a pinnacle? Still, the author asks the right questions about old age, from exploring what positives spirituality can actually offer to how one deals with sexuality.Integral to the book is the author's lively wit and sharp sense of humor. A book that is wise, delightfully-original, funny and concise. Can't do better than that.

Seems like the author is just beginning to find out about old age and how mature men react to this. You don't have to go to Greece to see old men and what we do is still very much alive in America-go to Barnes and Noble and see the old men drinking coffee and playing card games OR Central Park to see the chess games. Still ha some excellent points in it and it's worth your time to read it. He didn't capture the spirit of old age- e.g. the sheer joy of playing and interacting with ones grandchildren as an endeavor for us

I got this book to read on a trip to Hydra in Greece. Not only did I fall more in love with this place and this people, but I learned a bit about philosophy, mindfulness, and living the good life. What a privilege to read this book.