I’m delighted to announce that my new book on Stoicism is now available from all good bookstores. How to Think Like a Roman Emperor: The Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius (2019) is in ebook, hardback, and audiobook formats, published by St. Martin’s Press.

How to Think Like a Roman Emperor uses anecdotes about the life of Marcus Aurelius, drawn from Roman histories, to teach lessons about his use of Stoic philosophical precepts and psychological techniques in daily life. Each chapter focuses on a different period in Marcus’ life and a different personal development topic, relevant to modern readers. These include dealing with desire, anger, anxiety, pain, illness, sadness, loss, and coming to terms with our own mortality. I’ve drawn heavily on my own experience as a cognitive-behavioural psychotherapist to explain Stoic psychological exercises in a way that’s workable for readers today who want to use Stoicism to make practical changes in their own lives.

This book is a wonderful introduction to one of history’s greatest figures: Marcus Aurelius. His life and this book are a clear guide for those facing adversity, seeking tranquility and pursuing excellence. Ryan Holiday, bestselling author of The Obstacle is the Way and The Daily Stoic

A very striking combination of a reconstruction of the life of the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius and guidance based on Stoic principles and psychotherapeutic methods. Donald Robertson shows powerfully how thinking about Marcus’ example can help us understand what it means to live in a Stoic way, to aim at total integrity and to respond with resilience to intense challenges. The book begins with a compelling account of the author’s own life-story and journey to Stoicism. Christopher Gill, University of Exeter, author of The Structured Self in Hellenistic and Roman Thought (2006) and Marcus Aurelius, Meditations Books 1-6, introduction, translation and commentary (2013).

This is an elegant and engaging book that brings to life Marcus Aurelius, weaving together Roman history and Stoic philosophy in a way that gives us a vivid portrait of the the man behind the ‘Meditations’. The focus, though, is on what we can learn from Marcus today, and Donald Robertson draws on his expertise in psychotherapy to show what practical guidance we can draw from both the life and writings of Marcus and how we can use it to improve our own lives. Dr John Sellars, Royal Holloway, University of London, author of The Art of Living (2003), Stoicism (2006), and Hellenistic Philosophy (2018)

Order Online

You can also order How to Think Like a Roman Emperor from:

Translations are coming soon for readers in the Netherlands, and other countries.

If you want to learn more, take a look at all the reviews that people have already written.

I’ve previously written a general introduction to Stoicism for personal improvement: Teach Yourself Stoicism (2013). There are many other good books around on Stoicism so I wanted to write something completely different.

I hope you enjoy reading my new book! Please let me know if you have any questions about it in the comments below. As always, thanks for your support!

Regards,

PS. Links to the book listing on the websites of Macmillan Publishing, Amazon, GoodReads, Chapters, WorldCat, AbeBooks, Google Books, Book Depository, Kobo, Books-a-Million, Barnes and Noble. You can also search for the book using the ISBN numbers below:

ISBN-10 : 1250196620

: 1250196620 ISBN-13: 978-1250196620

PPS. You can become a patron and sponsor my work on Stoicism and psychotherapy via my new Patreon page.