How to Be: Life Lessons from the Early Greeks

The ancient Greeks were a group of thinkers who emerged 2,500 years ago in small eastern Mediterranean harbor-cities. They decided to cast off mental subservience and apply their own worrying and thinking minds to the conundrums of life. Through the questioning voyager Odysseus, Homer explored how we might navigate our way through the world, Heraclitus in Ephesus was the first to consider the interrelatedness of things, Xenophanes of Colophon was the first champion of civility, Sappho and Alcaeus in Lesbos asked themselves 'How can I be true to myself?, and Pythagoras in Samos imagined an everlasting soul. Adam Nicolson's book How to Be is a journey into the origins of Western thought, which emerged out of a rough, dynamic—and often cruel—moment in human history.

Format: Hardback
Length: 384 pages
Publication date: 08 June 2023
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Before the Greeks, the world was dominated by god-kings and their priests, living in a life ruled by imagined metaphysical monsters. 2,500 years ago, in a succession of small eastern Mediterranean harbor-cities, a shift in thinking began to take place. Men (and some women) decided to break free from mental subservience and apply their own worrying and thinking minds to the complexities of life. These great innovators laid the foundation for philosophy. Through the questioning voyager Odysseus, Homer explored how we might navigate our way through the world. Heraclitus in Ephesus was the first to consider the interconnectedness of things. Xenophanes of Colophon was the first champion of civility. In Lesbos, the Aegean island of Sappho and Alcaeus, the early lyric poets pondered, "How can I be true to myself?" In Samos, Pythagoras envisioned an everlasting soul and brought his ideas to Italy, where they blossomed again in surprising and radical forms.

Prize-winning writer Adam Nicolson embarks on a journey through this transformative world, seeking to shed light on our deepest preconceptions. How to Be is a captivating exploration into the origins of Western thought, adorned with maps, photographs, and artwork.

Hugely formative ideas emerged in these harbor-cities: the fluidity of mind, the search for coherence, a longing for a just city, a recognition of the mutability of things, and a belief in the reality of the ideal. These concepts became the legacy of the Greeks, shaping the world for centuries to come.

Born out of a rough, dynamic, and often cruel moment in human history, it was the dawn of enquiry. These fundamental questions about self, city, and culture continued to inspire thinkers and philosophers throughout the ages. The Greeks' exploration of the nature of things, their questioning mindset, and their pursuit of justice and self-discovery have left an indelible mark on the world, and their ideas continue to resonate today.

Weight: 616g
Dimension: 163 x 242 x 39 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780008490782