The Wisdom of the Myths: How Greek Mythology Can Change Your Life

A fascinating journey through Greek mythology that explains the myths' timeless lessons and meaning

Heroes, gods, and mortals. The Greek myths are the founding narratives of Western civilization: to understand them is to know the origins of philosophy, literature, art, science, law, and more. Indeed, as Luc Ferry shows in this masterful book, they remain a great store of wisdom, as relevant to our lives today as ever before. No mere legends or cliches ("Herculean task," "Pandora's box," "Achilles heel," etc.), these classic stories offer profound and manifold lessons, providing the first sustained attempt to answer fundamental human questions concerning "the good life," the burden of mortality, and how to find one's place in the world. Vividly retelling the great tales of mythology and illuminating fresh new ways of understanding them, The Wisdom of the Myths will enlighten readers of all ages.

“"With Luc Ferry as a guide, our passage through the storied landscape of Greek mythology becomes a captivating lesson in philosophy." -- Le Monde (France) "A marvelously wise and expansive book. ... Ferry writes with warmth, wit, and energy; one could call his prose conversational, but it's rare to have a conversation quite this wonderful." -- Boston Globe "Ferry draws out deeper meanings of myths about how the world works and of the place of mortals in it... The Wisdom of the Myths is part of a grand enterprise to revive practical wisdom and secular humanism." -- The Guardian”

"In this marvelously wise and expansive book, Luc Ferry argues for the primacy of Greek myth. ... Ferry writes with warmth, wit, and energy; one could call his prose conversational, but it's rare to have a conversation quite this wonderful." -- Boston Globe "With Luc Ferry as a guide, our passage through the storied landscape of Greek mythology becomes a captivating lesson in philosophy." -- Le Monde (France) "Ferry's charm as a teacher bursts through on every page." -- Wall Street Journal "A marvelously wise and expansive book. ... Ferry writes with warmth, wit, and energy; one could call his prose conversational, but it's rare to have a conversation quite this wonderful." -- Boston Globe

Luc Ferry, PhD, is a philosopher at the University of Paris. Professor Ferry has been awarded the Prix M?dicis, Prix Jean-Jacques-Rousseau, and Prix Aujourd?hui. He lives in Paris.

More than 100,000 copies sold in France A fascinating new journey through Greek mythology that explains the myths' timeless lessons and meaning Heroes, gods, and mortals. The Greek myths are the founding narratives of Western civilization: to understand them is to know the origins of philosophy, literature, art, science, law, and more. Indeed, as Luc Ferry shows in this masterful book, they remain a great store of wisdom, as relevant to our lives today as ever before. No mere legends or clich