Daniel Klein, the bestselling author of the writing team that created such critically acclaimed books Plato and a Platypus Walk Into a Bar and Heidegger and a Hippo Walk Through Those Pearly Gates was faced with something of an existential crisis recently when, at the age of 73, his dentist told him he’d need to choose either a denture plate or tooth implants. If he chose the implants, he would have to undergo several painful orthodontic procedures spread out over the span of moths. If he chose the dentures, he’d be stuck with a “clunky old-man smile” and restrictions on what he could eat. Klein initially planned on going with the implants. Upon further reflection however, he decided against the drill and went to Greece instead.
TRAVELS WITH EPICURUS: A Journey to a Greek Island in Search of a Fulfilled Life (A Penguin Hardcover Original; On Sale: October 30, 2012; ISBN: 9780143121930; $20.00; 164 pages) is his meditation on that experience. With all of Klein’s trademark humor and wisdom, he reflects on what one of his favorite philosophers, the sage Epicurus, could teach him about embracing those pleasures available only later in life. Klein also learns much from those elderly Greeks with whom he spends time chatting with in tavernas, men who have learned to enjoy a more leisurely pace of life and whose age is seen as an emblem of distinction. In Greece, Klein writes, saying that a man “wears his age on his face” is a compliment. This is a useful tonic to those accustomed to the youth-obsessed culture of the US and Klein reminds us, as he reflects on both daily life in Greece and on the beliefs of classic Greek philosophers, that old age is something to be valued, not shunned.
A travel book, a witty and accessible meditation, and an optimistic guide to living well, TRAVELS WITH EPICURUS is a delightful jaunt to the Aegean and through the terrain of old age that only Klein could navigate.
About the Author
Daniel Klein majored in philosophy at Harvard and then went on to write jokes for various comedians, including Flip Wilson and Lily Tomlin. He is the author, together with Thomas Cathcart, of the New York Times bestsellers Heidegger and a Hippo Walk Through Those Pearly Gates and Plato and a Platypus Walk Into a Bar. He lives with his wife in the Berkshire Mountains.
My Take on the Book
This was a great book that had so much humor within it and I have to say that it was a book that kept my attention from beginning to end! On top of this humor and wit though is a message that makes you think about your own life and how you are currently living and how you want to live in the future. I truly enjoyed the writing of Daniel Klein, and he did a great job at weaving a colorful tale with a great message within it. He also paints a vivid picture for all readers to enjoy! This is the type of book that you will not want to put down (at least I didn't) and you will come out in the end with a smile on your face and feeling uplifted!
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