"One swallow does not make a summer; neither does one day. Similarly neither can one day, or a brief space of time, make a man blessed and happy"

Previously published as Ethics, Aristotle's The Nicomachean Ethics addresses the question of how to live well and originates the concept of cultivating a virtuous character as the basis of his ethical system. Here Aristotle sets out to examine the nature of happiness, and argues that happiness consists in 'activity of the soul in accordance with virtue', including moral virtues, such as courage, generosity, and justice, and intellectual virtues, such as knowledge, wisdom, and insight.

The Ethics also discusses the nature of practical reasoning, the value and the objects of pleasure, the different forms of friendship, and the relationship between individual virtue, society, and the State. Aristotle's work has had a profound and lasting influence on all subsequent Western thought about ethical matters.

This Penguin Classics edition is translated from the Greek by J.A.K. Thomson with revisions and notes by Hugh Tredennick, and an introduction and bibliography by Jonathan Barnes. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

Alain de Botton's The Consolations of Philosophy takes the discipline of logic and the mind back to its roots. Drawing inspiration from six of the finest minds in history - Socrates, Epicurus, Seneca, Montaigne, Schopenhauer, and Nietzsche - he addresses lack of money, the pain of love, inadequacy, anxiety, and conformity.

From the internationally heralded author of How Proust Can Change Your Life comes a remarkable book that presents the wisdom of some of the greatest thinkers of the ages as advice for our day-to-day struggles. Solace for the broken heart can be found in the words of Schopenhauer. The ancient Greek Epicurus has the wisest, and most affordable, solution to cash flow problems. A remedy for impotence lies in Montaigne. Seneca offers advice upon losing a job. And Nietzsche has shrewd counsel for everything from loneliness to illness.

The Consolations of Philosophy is a book as accessibly erudite as it is useful and entertaining. Dividing his work into six sections—each highlighting a different psychic ailment and the appropriate philosopher—de Botton offers consolation for unpopularity from Socrates, for not having enough money from Epicurus, for frustration from Seneca, for inadequacy from Montaigne, and for a broken heart from Schopenhauer. Consolation for envy—and, of course, the final word on consolation—comes from Nietzsche: "Not everything which makes us feel better is good for us."

This wonderfully engaging book will make us feel better in a good way, with equal measures of wit and wisdom.

Mastery by Robert Greene demonstrates that the ultimate form of power is mastery itself. By analyzing the lives of such past masters as Charles Darwin, Benjamin Franklin, Albert Einstein, and Leonardo da Vinci, as well as by interviewing nine contemporary masters, including tech guru Paul Graham and animal rights advocate Temple Grandin, Greene debunks our culture’s many myths about genius and distills the wisdom of the ages to reveal the secret to greatness.

With this seminal text as a guide, readers will learn how to unlock the passion within and become masters. The book explores the secrets of the field you have chosen, encourages submission to a rigorous apprenticeship, and highlights the importance of absorbing hidden knowledge possessed by those with years of experience.

Study the behaviors of renowned figures and discover how to surge past competitors, surpass them in brilliance, and explode established patterns from within. Robert Greene shares the secret path to greatness, guiding readers to unleash their potential and achieve mastery.

Does absence really make the heart grow fonder? Can beggars be choosers? Is it always better late than never? Proverbs are short, well-known, pithy sayings that offer advice or words of encouragement and are used in everyday English without much thought ever being given to their meanings, or indeed, usefulness.

In An Apple A Day, Caroline Taggart explores the truth behind our favourite proverbs, their history, and whether they offer any genuine help to the recipient. Did you know that The Old Testament has an entire book devoted to proverbs? Or that 'a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush' is a proverb from falconry that dates back to the Middle Ages?

Many proverbs are still in use today, including the very famous 'slow and steady wins the race', which derives from one of the fables of Aesop, a slave in ancient Greece born in 620BC. Lighthearted but authoritative, An Apple A Day proves that proverbs are as useful today as they ever were.

A new story of common wisdom from the bestselling author of The Traveler’s Gift. Orange Beach, Alabama, is a simple town filled with simple people. But like all humans on the planet, the good folks of Orange Beach have their share of problems – marriages teetering on the brink of divorce, young adults giving up on life, businesspeople on the verge of bankruptcy, as well as the many other obstacles that life seems to dish out to the masses.

Fortunately, when things look the darkest – a mysterious man named Jones has a miraculous way of showing up. An elderly man with white hair, of indiscriminate age and race, wearing blue jeans, a white T-shirt, and leather flip flops carrying a battered old suitcase, Jones is a unique soul. Communicating what he calls “a little perspective,” Jones explains that he has been given a gift of noticing things that others miss. “Your time on this earth is a gift to be used wisely,” he says. “Don’t squander your words or your thoughts. Consider even the simplest action you take, for your lives matter beyond measure…and they matter forever.”

Jones speaks to that part in everyone that is yearning to understand why things happen and what we can do about it.

Like The Traveler’s Gift, The Noticer is a unique narrative blend of fiction, allegory, and inspiration. Gifted storyteller Andy Andrews helps us see how becoming a “noticer” just might change a person’s life forever.

The Happiness Hypothesis is a compelling exploration of ancient wisdom through the lens of modern psychological science. In this widely praised book, award-winning psychologist Jonathan Haidt delves into the world's philosophical wisdom, offering insights that can enrich and transform our lives.

Haidt examines enduring maxims such as "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you" and "What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger", demonstrating how these ideas can be understood more deeply through scientific research. Each chapter attempts to savor one Great Idea discovered by several of the world's civilizations, questioning it in light of modern knowledge and extracting lessons applicable to our current lives.

This book is a journey into understanding the causes of human flourishing, providing a deeper appreciation of ancient wisdom and its relevance today.

Boethius was an eminent public figure under the Gothic emperor Theodoric, and an exceptional Greek scholar. When he became involved in a conspiracy and was imprisoned in Pavia, it was to the Greek philosophers that he turned. The Consolation of Philosophy was written in the period leading up to his brutal execution. It is a dialogue of alternating prose and verse between the ailing prisoner and his 'nurse' Philosophy.

Her instruction on the nature of fortune and happiness, good and evil, fate and free will, restore his health and bring him to enlightenment. The Consolation of Philosophy was extremely popular throughout medieval Europe and his ideas were influential on the thought of Chaucer and Dante.

Who would have thought that Winnie-the-Pooh and Piglet, A.A. Milne's beloved storybook characters, would cause such a stir demonstrating the fundamentals of Taoist philosophy?

A perfect gift for any occasion, these two phenomenal paperback bestsellers are available for the first time in an elegantly packaged boxed set.

Illustrated throughout.