I bought a beautiful copy of this book at the Shakespeare and Company   bookshop in Paris. This is a collection of timeless advice from Seneca the Younger, a Roman Stoic philosopher whose life included episodes of extreme wealth, power, and tragedies. I found his advice on how to lead a good life very readable and practical. I was surprised several times how the major themes of his writing have equal importance in modern life, e.g. building good friendships, aquiring a good character, dealing with wealth, success, adversity, and mortality.