The author has given us a bit of everything Socrates. History, Philosophy, and even some psychology.

The teachings of Socrates are just as important today as they were in his own time. Here, we learn how to use the teachings to question our own values and thoughts.

This was really good in learning the social media influences on our lives and how we should be questioning those.

Excellent.

NetGalley/ St. Martin’s Press November 19,2024

I like Aristotle, but I like Socrates's writings more than Aristotle. Sometimes, I would rather think to be like Socrates. Donald J. Robertson transports us far far away back to ancient Athens to know why Socrates write and think like that. This is really enjoyable book.

Throughout my reading life I have often read about Socrates and I am sure I will continue to do so. My compelling interest gives me a very low bar for reading anything on the great philosopher, so I was game for this title knowing nothing detailed about it. I read it for the cover! Come to find out the book weaves the life and philosophy of Socrates with the principles and approaches of cognitive behavioral therapy. I did not know anything about CBT before, but certainly as framed here I find many of the approaches appealing, such as illeism, the practice of talking about oneself in the third person, rather than the first person. This can add a refreshing and enlightening perspective in mastering our fears and controlling the emotions about events that affect us more than the events themselves. Overall, I find the connections made to ancient Greek philosophy is more in line with Stoicism generally than Socrates particular, which actually makes me like it more.

As for Socrates, his biography and that of Athens including Pericles, Alcibiades, etc. is told in a modern language novelization approach that I think will be a great introduction to these personages and this history.

This is a very good introduction to Socrates. I found a lot to think about and learned things about myself.

This is an excellent account of Socrates's life and times and its influence on his philosophy. If you prefer historical context as you learn how Socrates came to think the way he did, you'll enjoy this book.

I enjoyed this book quite a bit. I learned a lot more about Athens and Ancient Greece during Socrates's life and now have a better understanding of his philosophy. There was more history than philosophy, which was somewhat disappointing, but I was satisfied with the information nonetheless. Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with a review copy of this book. I appreciate it!

Well written, interesting read showcasing the thinking patterns of Socrates and how we can bring these concepts into our own lives. Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for allowing me to read and review.

If I ever get the option to bring one person back from the dead to have dinner with, it would be Socrates!

I liked how the author compared Socrates methods to modern day psychology and how his teachings are still valid to this day, they’re just used under different names.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and if you’re into philosophy and/or psychology, you should definitely give this one read.

My husband once told me - if you want to lead men, ask questions. This book is a great place to start learning how to ask questions. For me, it was a bit dense…and my attention span has been low lately, so I will let you know who it is best for, because I didn’t connect as well. If you are into history or philosophy, this book is a great read. Robertson goes deep into the life of Socrates and applies his logic to the way we approach life. If you are a coach, this might be a fun place to spend a weekend as you contemplate better ways to use questions to move the conversation forward. If you are a parent with a child considering Harvard or any of the other higher ed schools that adhere to the Socratic method, I strongly recommend you read this.

Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and most importantly the author - Donald J. Robertson. As it usually goes… I received a free ARC from NetGalley, and this review is voluntary

To expand on the synopsis a bit:

Contained within is more the history of Socrates, or rather, what we can piece together of who he was based upon secondary sources. Moreover, the thought process of Socrates is also explored, or what is known as the socratic method. Expanding on this particular discourse, the view of this narrative is more in the realm of psychology instead of philosophy. The author connects the socratic method to the modern day cognitive therapy practice.

What the author set out to make the case for was dogpiled by the retelling of events from Socrates’ life. For the layman, self-help type, or general history enthusiast, this book would be helpful because it provides a lot of details in one central location, in logical sequence, and each chapter more or less ends on the case, or the point the author is trying to make, which is the connection between the socratic method and psychology, and how if we adjusted our view based upon the spirit of what we just read, it could potentially benefit mental health and wellness. For those that were looking for more philosophy, or wanted to learn from the angle of philosophy based upon what Socrates was all about, this book is not it.

This book wasn’t for me, but I think it adds to the discourse, and it’s another option for those wanting to understand, or explore this material for themselves.

Compared to an earlier book, How to Think Like a Roman Emperor, this book is more history than philosophy. The author gets carried away by narrating Athenian wars and intricate details of the campaigns - some context to explain Socrates would have been helpful, but the philosophy seems to be an after-thought to the historical narration. That approach is very puzzling as the author himself points out that much of what we know of Socrates is not verifiable conclusively and he is using imagination to reconstruct conversations to aid narration. Most chapters include 80-90 percent history and then a few philosophical commentary, mostly juxtaposing with Beck's view on cognitive behavioral therapy. unless you are fan of Athenian history and more interested in reading a historical-fiction-like account of Socrates, you are going to be bored out of your mind. A huge opportunity missed, really enjoyed the author's other books. This one is a hard pass unless you are a student of history or are comfortable trying to parse the narration and divine some insights...