A Better Human

The Stoic Heart, Mind, and Soul

Non-Fiction - Inspirational
244 Pages
Reviewed on 03/24/2019
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    Book Review

Reviewed by Mamta Madhavan for Readers' Favorite

A Better Human: The Stoic Heart, Mind, and Soul by George J. Bradley is a thought-provoking and insightful book that tackles the philosophy of Stoicism, which is not only relevant to modern life but offers the keys to success and fulfilment. This philosophy was said to have developed through a succession of Greek teachers and thinkers, but blossomed in Rome. The book draws heavily on the thinking and writing of three philosophers: Seneca (an advisor to Emperor Nero), Epictetus (a freed Greek slave who did well as a teacher in Rome), and the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius. The amazing transformative power Stoicism can have in life, and the basics of the heart, mind, and soul of how to live a Stoic life have been discussed with expertise, and will help readers to experience the benefits of Stoicism.

The book is encouraging, uplifting, and will motivate readers to look into themselves, change their mindset, make rational choices and thereby progress towards self improvement. The author has broken it up into three sections, heart, mind, and soul, making it easy for readers to comprehend the Stoic mindset and lifestyle, and encourages them to work towards self control. The author discusses a philosophical topic in a simple way that makes it easy for readers to understand and practice this naturally in daily life. The author's writing style is fluid and he handles a philosophical topic easily. The practical examples shared make it easy for readers to connect with what the author is trying to convey, and will encourage readers to learn more about Stoicism and its philosophy, and perhaps to read more about Seneca, Epictetus, and Marcus Aurelius.

Renee Guill

A Better Human: The Stoic Heart, Mind, and Soul by George J. Bradley is a self-help book that shows you how you can find your happiness. George J. Bradley gives the definition of Stoicism and tells how you can become a Stoic. He discusses how using your thinking can change your outcome, like using the negative to make a positive and using what you learned in the past to overcome an obstacle. He uses philosophers like Socrates to enhance his point of view. Also, George J. Bradley uses stories of his past and others like Benjamin Franklin and Sir Isaac Newton, to name a couple, to get his point across. He also talks about how to use skills and agility.

A Better Human by George J. Bradley was an interesting read. I need to point out that it is perhaps not for people like me who deal with an anxiety disorder caused by a chemical imbalance. But for the most part, I thought this book had a few intriguing ideas, like the idea of thinking what's the worst possible thing that can happen. I do that all the time, and I didn't realize anyone else did. I also loved how George J. Bradley used people and characters to explain his point, even someone like Colombo (one of my favorite characters). I liked how this book makes you think. I mean it is all subjective, just depending on your point of view, but definitely worth the read if you are looking into soul searching techniques.

Samantha Dewitt (Rivera)

The idea of living your life in a positive way is one that has, for the most part, escaped the notice of most religions and belief systems. But who wants to simply survive their life, waiting to die and go to a different place? Instead, spend your life living and loving the way things are. It’s all about understanding what things you can change and what things you can’t, and understanding those that fall somewhere in the middle. It’s all about learning what it takes to be one with stoicism, a method of truly making yourself A Better Human. This book by George J. Bradley is all about the amazing experiences that can come to you if you learn to make yourself a better person today, in the present.

It is possible to be your best self in the life you’re currently living, but it requires you to become more aware of the things that you can and can’t control. It also requires you to have other traits like self-discipline, mentorship, sociability and a whole lot more. With this book you learn all about the different aspects of the self, your mind, your heart and your soul. By making sure each of these parts of the self work together it’s possible for each of us to become A Better Human. Being one with the stoic principles can be difficult, but it doesn’t have to be impossible and if we’re able to embrace these feelings and express all of these traits, we’ll all be able to change the world in new and exciting ways.

K.C. Finn

A Better Human: The Stoic Heart, Mind, and Soul is a work of philosophical consideration and non-fiction penned by author George J. Bradley. Following the traditions of the centuries-old Stoic movement in philosophical thinking, which began with the likes of Seneca in Roman times, this well-organized retelling of Stoic thinking provides insight into modern life and comments on why other methods of self-help and religious belief may not be enough to handle the pressures of modern life. This work strives to mix modern culture with ancient practices, examining how joy, success and inner peace can be achieved by adopting and adapting principles to the current day and age.

As someone with a keen interest in philosophy, I appreciated the simplicity with which author George J. Bradley delivers the ideas of Stoicism to his audience. The accessible format and well organized chapter system - by topic and theme - makes it easy to digest different segments of ways of thinking, whilst also allowing readers to direct themselves to the sections that most relate to their current problems in life. Though not an in-your-face self help book, the philosophical ideas and their applications to modern day life present readers with opportunities to question their own decisions and approaches that they might make to similar issues. The writing style was also fluid and relatable, with real examples giving a more personal touch to the text. Overall, A Better Human: The Stoic Heart, Mind, and Soul is a comprehensive application of philosophy that is well worth reading.

Gisela Dixon

A Better Human: The Stoic Heart, Mind, and Soul by George J. Bradley is a non-fiction book on the ancient philosophy of Stoicism and how it is applied to our modern, contemporary life. In this book, George starts off with a brief introduction to the Stoic philosophy, its origins, and some of the well-known Stoic philosophers such as Seneca, Marcus Aurelius, etc. He then dives into what the philosophy itself truly means and how to apply it in today’s world and adopt it as a part of daily living. The book is divided into three main sections entitled: Heart, Mind, and Soul. Each of these contains chapters on specific topics that explore the subject in detail such as understanding and being able to recognize what is and what is not in your control, self-discipline, what it means to live a virtuous life, fearlessness, decision making, realism, looking at the past as a teacher and learning lessons from it, gratitude, being authentic, and much more.

I really enjoyed reading A Better Human: The Stoic Heart, Mind, and Soul and I think it provides a succinct and pretty accurate summary of what Stoicism really means. The Stoic philosophy seems to be making a comeback and a lot of people think of it as being unemotional or cold. George carefully separates fact from fiction in this book and with actual quotes from Stoic philosophers of old brings out the real meaning of this philosophy which is about calm acceptance, mental fortitude, detachment, and harmony. The writing style of this book is casual and engaging and I liked that George provides personal examples to illustrate this philosophy further and explains how he practices it in his own life. This is a book that I would recommend.