Living the Prudent Life: The Timeless Wisdom of Baltazar Gracian

Though the personal letters and sermons in this book were written in the 16th century, the advice and philosophy on morality are relevant today. Spanish Jesuit and Baroque writer Balthazar Gracian’s ideas influenced many other philosophers and meditative thinkers, including Nietzsche, Schopenhauer, and Voltaire, and his aphorisms are collected and presented here in English for the first time. With 207 homilies, sayings, thoughts, and pieces of advice about conduct, thinking, knowledge, and art, this collection uses contemporary language while preserving the essence of the original so that modern readers can apply it to their own lives.