It is not easy to name this one book, if the pandemic standstill has led to anything good, it is that I have been able to read more.

But one book is indeed among them, which became a friendly companion for me: Massimo Pigliucci, »Die Weisheit der Stoiker«.

The work aroused interest, illuminated aspects I was not aware of, raised questions and unagitatedly pointed out points of contact.

A popular philosophical outline, highly enjoyable reading — and has the potential to leave one's own – sometimes narrow – bubble ideally and intellectually.

One of my singing students kindly brought this book to my attention, which was immediately followed by a conversation about the analogy between singing and the Stoa.

The book has already been published in English in 2017, it seems almost visionary on the background of a prevailing pandemic with regard to Pigliucci's postulate of thinking critically and sceptically on one's own - and how humanity responded to this task.

›The focal points of his (Pigliucci's) work are philosophy of science and stoicism,‹ says the blurb.

Michael Nagy, Munich, 22 July 2021
Bass Elias