How to Think Like a Roman Emperor — Donald Robertson

Paperback | St. Martin’s Griffin | April 2, 2019

The Gist

A cognitive-behavioral psychotherapist combines his background in psych and his love for Stoicism to tell the story of one of his favorite dead guys.

Read If You Like

• Psychology

• History

• Stoicism

• The Meditations

• Letters from a Stoic

• Socrates

The Verdict: Read It

How to Think like a Roman Emperor is a blend of history, psychology, and philosophy. Though many will come for a “modern-day guide to the Stoic wisdom,” readers will find Robertson’s work a little more academic than most “self-help” books on the shelf. But this academic approach is where Robertson’s strength truly lies. He easily and clearly draws connections between Stoicism and cognitive behavioral therapy and other modern psychology practices to offer strategies for developing a better response to an unpredictable world. However, Robertson does struggle with framing the book within the story of Marcus Aurelius’s life, particularly in the final chapter where he imagines the emperor’s final moments before passing away. Nevertheless, How to Think Like a Roman Emperor offers readers solid strategies that will help them become more resilient, as well as turn them toward other Stoic texts and individuals who practiced the philosophy (e.g. Seneca, Epictetus, Zeno, etc.). This book is a good primer for those starting their journey into Stoicism.