Plato, Not Prozac!: Applying Eternal Wisdom to Everyday Problems

by Lou Marinoff

Book Overview

If you're facing a dilemma -- whether it's handling a relationship, living ethically, dealing with a career change, or finding meaning in life -- the world's most important thinkers from centuries past will help guide you toward a solution compatible with your individual beliefs. From Kirkegaard's thoughts on coping with death to the I Ching's guidelines on adapting to change, Plato, Not Prozac makes philosophy accessible and shows you how to...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060931361
• ISBN13: 9780060931360
• Release Date: August 2000
• Publisher: Harper Perennial
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 0.58 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.3" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

I would definitely recommend...

I personally found this book to be very interesting and insightful. As a student of both psychology and philosophy, I greatly appreciate the way both are presented. His thoughts were synonymous with my personal humanistic view of working with others in counseling. It's encouraging to hear and read of more humanistic perspectives and approaches that include getting the client to THINK, as opposed to diagnose, medicate... repeat.

Fresh Air...

This is an excellent book. I wish I could give it 8 stars. In his criticism of today's mental health experts and their obsession with naming every thought a syndrome, Lou Marinoff says what many well read and intelligent people are already thinking. He is also very correct in pointing out that psychology offers little in the way of help in regards to getting past analyzing one's problem. I have literally hundreds of self-help books that are great at naming our problems, but few if any have any solutions. In my mind, this is what make Philosophical Counselling and this book in particular, better. Philosophy is the one and only true path through life that actually works. It is a path that can be seen, tested and proven. Certainly, if someone has a biological problem that is affecting them psychologically, they need to see a medical doctor, however, once the chemistry problem or injury has been treated, then even these folks can benefit from Philosophical Counselling. This book is a breath of fresh air in a talk therapy world that has up till now, been dominated by stuffy psychiatrists and contradicting psychologists. I recommend it as a must read for anyone interested in real mental progress.

The unexamined life is not worth living.

What a fantastic book! I just wish that it had existed when I was much younger- it would have saved me a great deal of time on my own personal journey. I always thought that intelligent, truly educated, individuals naturally applied the great wisdom teachings to their daily lives. I mean, that is why we are here isn't it? We truly come to obtain wisdom through philosophy (the love of wisdom) by applying it in the struggle of earthly life. I didn't realize that this had come to be rare and exceptional in the modern world. There is even a name for it now- philosophical practice. What a marvelous concept- students of philosophy helping each other to apply the lessons of the perennial teachings in their daily lives. Of course you can do it alone, as I did, but the author points out that it is nice to have a knowledgeable second party to make sure that you didn't miss something- and that you are truly applying reason and not rationalization. The use of case studies for specific problem areas is quite informative: seeking a relationship, maintaining a relationship, ending a relationship, family life and strife, work, midlife crisis, the reason for morals and ethics, finding meaning and purpose, and gaining from loss. The way that individual philosophers and their ideas are introduced is quite well done (theme, refrain, greatest hits, and a thumbnail abstract of their core ideas.) The basics of their systems are outlined nicely, which helps in deciding which to pursue later. I was amazed that so many of the great thinkers that that I had painstakingly discovered over the years were included. If you would like to delve a little deeper into the various philosophers without tackling the source works I recommend _Basic Teachings of the Great Philosophers_ by S.E. Frost.

Excellent book

This book promotes a truly alternative way of professionally dealing with improving the human condition. Most of what a reader finds in the self-help section is psychologically-based. This book distinguishes itself entirely from the psychiatry/psychology industry. The author has the courage to observe that psychiatry and its cousin sciences (psychology, psychotherapy, psychoanalysis) ARE NOT SCIENCES. Any real scientist knows better. People who are strict disciples of psychology may object to this book simply because it observes psychology's failures to improve the human condition. The book is a refreshing alternative to the usual "man is an animal" approach to helping human beings. I honestly haven't seen anything like this in a long time. Accolades for the book and its author.

Lessons to live by

I just left an eleven year teaching career to make a life change. I am now the library director for a small town making about a third of what I made as a teacher. I did it because I could no longer reconcile my personal philosophy and beliefs with that of the trends in public education today and the current attitudes of parents. This book was an amazing affirmation of my decision. It was neat to read the philosophies of the masters and know I was following like ideas as well as my heart. I spent years on and off examining my sanity, trying the new drugs, etc all in trying to make myself 'fit' into my career. Luckily I got out and into a rewarding line of work. I think anyone reading Lou's book will find it incredibly readible and something to relate to. It's nice to read a work that affirms life and makes you feel as though you do have control over your life and you don't need a shrink to do it. I highly recommend this work to anyone who has an interest in things of the soul and is a seeker of the lessons of life from the viewpoint of the great philosophers!