Summary
Marcus Tullius Cicero: How to be a friend
In a world where social media, online relationships and a relentless focus on the self threaten the very idea of deep and lasting friendship, finding the right friends is more important than ever. In this short book, which is one of the best ever written on the subject, the famous Roman politician and philosopher Cicero offers us a noteworthy and interesting guide on how to find, keep and value friends. Witty and wise, Cicero shows us not only how to build friendships, but also how they must be a key part of our lives. As he himself says, a life without friends is not worth living.
Full of timeless advice and insight, Cicero's sincere and moving classic, written in 44 BC and originally titled De amicitia ("On Friendship"), has inspired readers for more than two thousand years, from Saint Augustine and Dante to Thomas Jefferson and John Adams. Presented here in a vivid new translation, with the original Latin text and an engaging introduction, How to Be a Friend explores how to choose the right friends for yourself, avoid pitfalls, and how to live with friends in good times and bad. Cicero also praises what he sees as the deepest form of friendship, one in which two people find in each other a "other self" or soul mate.
An honest and eloquent guide to finding and nurturing true friendships, How to Be a Friend carries a message as powerful today as it was when it was written.
Biblos Newsletter
New titles, special copies and quiet recommendations from the antiquarian bookshop.