Judith Valente

How to Live is heavily stoic, taking its ideas and influences from various different pieces of literature. At the same time, it is strongly religious, taking notes from the Bible and a book called the Rules of St. Benedict. It is a series of short ideas and pieces that teach a person to live in the moment. As it is heavily stoic, it mentions constantly that you should remember your mortality. Live each day as though you were going to die, but at the same time, don’t forget the lives of the people you might influence in your day to day life.

To accomplish this task, Judith Valente goes through a number of soul-searching retreats and discusses the power of prayer and other things. The book is really interesting and emotionally moving. I did not think that it would be my cup of tea when it started to lay it on thick, but the book proved me wrong.

Between the pages, you can find advice on the power of silence, how to turn away from anger, ignoring the ego, and other important lessons. It uses anecdote and other literary methods to great effect, showing all of us how to be humble and listen.

The book is 22 chapters of wonder and whimsy. I read most of it on an airplane ride to Phoenix, AZ, and it goes by pretty fast. I don’t have any particular issues with this book other than the fact that it is quite religious in nature. It doesn’t exactly become preachy or anything like that, but it is something to keep in mind.

How to Live is another testament to the fact that Human Nature does not change quickly. Although The Rules of St. Benedict were written in the Sixth Century CE, we can still relate to his timeless wisdom.… (more)