The Consolation of Philosophy
Boethius wrote this while awaiting execution, and it became one of the most widely read books in Europe for a thousand years.
“In all adversity of fortune, the worst sort of misery is to have been happy.”
Why It Matters
Boethius wrote this while awaiting execution, and it became one of the most widely read books in Europe for a thousand years. His argument — that true happiness comes from philosophy and virtue, not fortune — gave the medieval world its framework for understanding suffering. Chaucer translated it, and its influence on Dante, Thomas More, and C.S. Lewis was direct.
The 
Take
Personal reviewLoved the analysis of free will but the rest seemed regurgitated ancient philosophy with some December poems mixed in. Cool that he’s the bridge between the ancient and medieval schools
Notable Quotes
“Nothing is miserable unless you think it so; and on the other hand, nothing brings happiness unless you are content with it.”