Seneca - On the Shortness of Life: Adapted for the Contemporary Reader

By: Lucius Seneca, James Harris

Narrated by: Scott R. Smith

De Brevitate Vitae (frequently referred to as On the Shortness of Life in English) is a moral essay written by Seneca the Younger, a Roman Stoic philosopher, to his father-in-law Paulinus. The philosopher brings up many Stoic principles on the nature of time, namely that men waste much of it in meaningless pursuits. According to the essay, nature gives man enough time to do what is really important and the individual must allot it properly. In general, time can be best used in the study of philosophy, according to Seneca.

This essay has been carefully adapted into a contemporary form.

©2016 James Harris (P)2016 James Harris

Greatness...This is a manual on being a Powerhouse

The narrator is very good and the update on language was a great idea. The words are updated to modern speech and modern usage.

The greatness of Seneca is timeless. It is an excellent buy for any reader of stoic work. I will buy a physical version for my young kids.

Short Audiobook on Brief Lesson: Life is Short

Any additional comments?

King of Persia shed a bounty of tears, not for his victory of the war instead that he had lived so long and was able to witness and survive the wars of his feared enemies. This audiobook was a letter about living your life and acknowledging that it is a brief life. Realizing, it is not that we have a short space of time but that we waste so much of it. This is a valuable lesson even for today when life feels so much longer and we are able to take advantage of so much more.

I really enjoyed the narrator. I did not have to change the speed on the audiobook which is nice when you are wrapped up in the story. This audiobook is short enough to have a few listens to absorb all the lessons.

This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of Audiobook Boom, but the gift did not bias my review.

I will definitely listen to this again.

Very very thought-provoking!! Highly recommend for today's world experience. I will listen to this again and again.

Grating, amateurish narration

Ok wisdom from 20 centuries ago, but the narration was poor and in an unpleasant voice which projected a whiny tone and often nonexistent or misplaced inflection.

This is a true nugget of gold. Recommended to all.

Great translation. Very digestible. Lots of practical wisdom for the daily life. Written for fellow humans thousands of years ago and still applies to current days.

Classical thinking, yet so appropriate today

Would you consider the audio edition of On the Shortness of Life to be better than the print version?

Sometimes we think we don't have time to read the writings of famous dead people from 2000 years ago. But, this audio version makes it so easy to listen to. It is performed well, and the content is still so relevant.

Any additional comments?

I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.

Awesome book

I really liked it. Short, but not too short. Lots of wisdom. Good audio. Reader voice is good. Highly recommended!

Great Narration, and Enlightening Story

What did you like best about this story?

This is the shorter edition of De Brevitate Vitae (a moral essay written by Seneca the Younger in 49 AD) and is adopted for the contemporary reader. Generally reading a philosophy book can be very challenging and especially Greek philosophy.It's usually very difficult for a contemporary reader to relate to the philosophy and the wisdom behind it, because the essay is written 2000 years ago. But fortunately On the Shortness of Life is written in a way that one can easily understand and learn. Overall it's a great read, it's short but it touches very important subjects, and I would have loved it if it was a bit longer.

What about Scott R. Smith’s performance did you like?

I really enjoyed the narration, and I'm looking forward to see more narrations by Scott R. Smith.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It made me think about the value of time, and how important it is to enjoy every moment of my life.

Any additional comments?

I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.

A lot of information on "stuff"

This is a long winded lecture that takes you around and around. I can actually picture the author standing in Rome admit the grand coliseums droning on and on as the Romans did back in ancient times about his philosophy on life. About his take on what we should do and shouldn't do and how he interprets all things around him. I can picture the murmuring among the crowds as they shift about on their stone benches wondering how much longer before a slave can bring refreshments. While others nod and beam encouragement. And still others boo. The only thing he says in this long winded dysentery is Philosophy last longer then the human body and things built by man. I received this book at no charge in exchange for an honest review. Glad the lecture is over. Phew!!

Important statement, with powerful insights.

This is an important statement with many powerful insights. Though much more can be said about this subject, even to dispute some of Seneca's thoughts on the matter, it is worth the listen, which is just one hour.