Being born, starting school, getting a job, falling in love, getting married, having children, having a midlife crisis, retiring -- these are a sampling of the life markers that Robert Rowland Smith elucidates in his book Driving with Plato: The Meaning of Life's Milestones. Frankly, I never really had an interest in philosophy until I realized that fashion theory is deeply rooted in philosophy and ever since then, I've been immersed in it far deeper than I ever expected to be. This was one of the books I read over Christmas (in the midst of my existential crisis) and offers a charming introduction to philosophy.
Divided into chapters according to life's milestones, the book considers the meaning to key events in our lives. Written in an engaging and warm voice, Robert Rowland Smith offers an insightful, intelligent and witty analysis. In the introduction he says "If life is a mystery, then let's take advantage of everything at our disposal to shed a little light. Besides, where asking about the meaning of life is too large a question to be helpful, breaking things down into life's milestones can give us a little bit of traction. To drive with Plato is to take a fresh look at the moments that define the all too brief transit our car makes across the earth. There are some remarkable ideas to explore en route."
Title: Driving with Plato, The Meaning of Life's Milestones
Author: Robert Rowland Smith
Publisher: Free Press, New York/Toronto
Category: Non-fiction
Number of Pages: 235
Price: US $19.99, Canada $22.99 (hardcover)
E-book also available.
Link: Driving with Plato
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