Listening / History / How To Be Socrates
How To Be Socrates
A Guide to the Good Life
Tom Hodgkinson
- Written by
- Tom Hodgkinson
- Length
- 6 hrs 40 min
- Publisher
- Bloomsbury Continuum
- Released
- 2027-04-08
Shelved under
What it is
24 witty essays channelling the ancient wisdom of Socrates for the modern age.
It was Socrates who asked the question we’re still trying to answer today: what does it mean to live a good and meaningful life? Tom Hodgkinson, the noted bon viveur and the bestselling author of How to Be Idle, looks to the life of this elusive and maddening philosopher to channel ancient wisdom for the modern age. He learns how to learn to love wisdom, annoy everyone and avoid politics – just like the great thinker himself.
This witty and breezy book is filled with eye-popping stories from the life of Socrates and his cohort in Ancient Athens, structured around Hodgkinson’s own experience of putting Socrates’ lessons into practice as a lifelong idler, seeker of wisdom and entrepreneur.
From Socrates we can learn to love regardless of gender, to fight furiously with our families, live simply, learn to dance, and face death cheerfully.
On the charts
Last charted September 13, 2026. Its best position was 1 on Coming soon in Biographies & Memoirs, reached August 28, 2026. Seen on 3 charts over 12 days of readings, the first on August 28, 2026.
| Chart | Best | Days | Last seen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biographies & Memoirs | |||
| Coming soon | 1 | 2 days | August 29, 2026 |
| History | |||
| Coming soon | 2 | 12 days | September 13, 2026 |
| Politics & Social Sciences | |||
| Coming soon | 6 | 8 days | September 8, 2026 |
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