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Creating the Good Life
Book by James O'Toole
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First published April 14, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
February 17, 2011
This was a Christmas gift from my godmother and aside from a few books on religion, it's definitely the first purely philosophical book that I read. If that sounds like bad news, fortunately it's not -- James O'Toole's examination of Aristotelian philosophy is very readable and wonderfully insightful. Creating the Good Life is a blueprint for living "like the Ancient", which is an esoteric way of saying, be a Jack of all trades, attempt to reach your greatest potential, obtain the Highest Good, etc.
After a brief biography on Aristotle, his peers and tutors, O'Toole immediately begins to apply his philosophy to our modern day lifestyle, showing that the great philosopher would not have identified or condoned the career status quo of intense specialization. He would have instead advocated for a more diverse and "liberal arts" style of life plan: finding time to teach others, spend time with family, volunteering in the community, keeping the mind sharp by reading copiously, develop and cultivate a group of erudite friends, engage in athletic endeavors, etc. By not doing anything in excess and striking a dynamic balance between all of these pursuits, one achieves living a virtuous life. This last term is the epicenter of the book and Aristotle's philosophy. O'Toole routinely comes back to this term and examines the actions of modern day CEO's and of himself, always asking the question "Was x a virtuous act, or was it motivated by personal desires?" This intense focus on doing things for their own sake or for the betterment of others is crucial for one’s achievement of the good life.
The book should, however, begin with a disclaimer that says "This is meant for people emerging from a mid-life crisis" or, more bluntly, "You will enjoy this more if you're 50 or over". Not only does O'Toole use many modern day CEO's as examples or references, many of whom are in their 50's or older, but the majority of the book is a series of thoughtful answers to the question "Now that I'm looking forward to retirement, what else is there in life?" In fact, O’Toole only cursorily talks about people in their 20’s, 30’s and 40’s, usually to say that they live profligately and with sensory myopia. That said, the book is still very helpful for a younger audience as they look forward to what they want from life.
More importantly, I enjoyed this book because it didn’t say “Go out and do whatever you want” – because that does no good to someone like myself, whose interests are vast and far between. Instead, it says “Go out and do many things and try to do them well”. He doesn’t say “Don’t drink or party because they’re not virtuous”, he says “Don’t binge or gamble your life savings because those aren’t virtuous”. There are obviously many more components to this, but then I’d ruin the simplification. The point is, it’s difficult to finish reading this book and not want to subscribe to the Aristotelian way of life. Too many people are so intensely focused on one thing that they forget to step out of their comfort zones and explore new things. For those wanting to break out of that shell, this book is a great place to start.
After a brief biography on Aristotle, his peers and tutors, O'Toole immediately begins to apply his philosophy to our modern day lifestyle, showing that the great philosopher would not have identified or condoned the career status quo of intense specialization. He would have instead advocated for a more diverse and "liberal arts" style of life plan: finding time to teach others, spend time with family, volunteering in the community, keeping the mind sharp by reading copiously, develop and cultivate a group of erudite friends, engage in athletic endeavors, etc. By not doing anything in excess and striking a dynamic balance between all of these pursuits, one achieves living a virtuous life. This last term is the epicenter of the book and Aristotle's philosophy. O'Toole routinely comes back to this term and examines the actions of modern day CEO's and of himself, always asking the question "Was x a virtuous act, or was it motivated by personal desires?" This intense focus on doing things for their own sake or for the betterment of others is crucial for one’s achievement of the good life.
The book should, however, begin with a disclaimer that says "This is meant for people emerging from a mid-life crisis" or, more bluntly, "You will enjoy this more if you're 50 or over". Not only does O'Toole use many modern day CEO's as examples or references, many of whom are in their 50's or older, but the majority of the book is a series of thoughtful answers to the question "Now that I'm looking forward to retirement, what else is there in life?" In fact, O’Toole only cursorily talks about people in their 20’s, 30’s and 40’s, usually to say that they live profligately and with sensory myopia. That said, the book is still very helpful for a younger audience as they look forward to what they want from life.
More importantly, I enjoyed this book because it didn’t say “Go out and do whatever you want” – because that does no good to someone like myself, whose interests are vast and far between. Instead, it says “Go out and do many things and try to do them well”. He doesn’t say “Don’t drink or party because they’re not virtuous”, he says “Don’t binge or gamble your life savings because those aren’t virtuous”. There are obviously many more components to this, but then I’d ruin the simplification. The point is, it’s difficult to finish reading this book and not want to subscribe to the Aristotelian way of life. Too many people are so intensely focused on one thing that they forget to step out of their comfort zones and explore new things. For those wanting to break out of that shell, this book is a great place to start.
September 30, 2020
I was hoping for some modern explication of Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics. What I got instead was a mea culpa from the author and on behalf of various Boomers he knows. When you close in on 50 the overachieving Boomer starts to ask "what is next?" has a mid-life crisis and reads Aristotle. Then he "gets religion," and writes a book to tell everyone about it.
One line that jumped out at me was "Aristotelian maturity" typical comes around 50, yet Aristotle was trying to get people to adopt the Ethics earlier in life. Perhaps if the typical Boomer had followed Aristotle's advice sooner, things in society might not be quite as messed up as they are at present. (yes I mostly blame the Boomers)
I can't help feeling like this book is still the author's attempt to achieve something. He's still striving. At one point he references karma and dharma, but apparently he didn't make the jump to Buddhism and the concept of dukkha. Perhaps if he had, he might have realized that his dissatisfaction in his situation was due to his attachment to his desire to achievement, not because he didn't follow the Ethics as a younger man.
One line that jumped out at me was "Aristotelian maturity" typical comes around 50, yet Aristotle was trying to get people to adopt the Ethics earlier in life. Perhaps if the typical Boomer had followed Aristotle's advice sooner, things in society might not be quite as messed up as they are at present. (yes I mostly blame the Boomers)
I can't help feeling like this book is still the author's attempt to achieve something. He's still striving. At one point he references karma and dharma, but apparently he didn't make the jump to Buddhism and the concept of dukkha. Perhaps if he had, he might have realized that his dissatisfaction in his situation was due to his attachment to his desire to achievement, not because he didn't follow the Ethics as a younger man.
January 4, 2018
Great introduction to Aristotle for the layman. For those a little unsure about tackling the original manuscripts themselves, O'Toole has delivered a nice work that neatly summarizes many of Aristotle's key writings as well as developing some creative ways to make old ideas zing again. A must read for anyone approaching their late '30s or 40s. Classical definitions from an age gone by are particularly relevant today in the midst of terms such as happiness and "the good life" and virtue being defined by reality television stars and drive by media talking heads. O'Toole divides the book between defining terminology and concepts and then what living with an awareness of these terms should or could look like in today's world. Not a Christian worldview per se, but a classical one that everyone should read.
February 9, 2021
Lifelong learning is good, basically is the message. There were weird sentences in the book as if the editor just skipped over them. Other than that, I had the feeling that the author used the book as virtue signaling, against which he is speaking vehemently. The personal stories seemed too well placed to show vulnerability where it shouldn't. Just weird.
September 20, 2021
Made me appreciate Aristotle.
January 24, 2023
For me, it was an interesting introduction to Aristotle. However, it seemed repetitive on the same concepts.
July 25, 2008
Creating the Good Life: Applying Aristotle's Wisdom to Find Meaning and Happiness
James O'Toole
Rodale Books
"Given the fact that he lived almost 2,400 years ago, what could Aristotle possibly have to say that is directly relevant now?" In fact, people -- especially those at mid-life -- are struggling to find meaning and happiness. Some ask, as Peggy Lee once did, "Is that all there is?" The purpose of this book is show how Aristotle is an effective guide on that search, and how he can help many people to find their own practical answer to a critically important question, "What's next?" In an interview appeared in the July/August (2005) issue of Chamber Executive magazine, O'Toole observes that "Aristotle was the most practical of all great philosophers. His audience was the business and political leadership of his day. He offered them wisdom they could apply in their own lives -- practical advice on matters ranging from ethical business practices to effective philanthropy. Aristotle even describes 'virtuous non-retirement' -- the lifelong commitment to engage in leisure work which is characterized by pursuit of the 'highest good' of individual excellence and the 'complete good' of community service. He offers practical tests to help us determine how much wealth we need to support us while we engage in those activities."
As O'Toole explains in this book, Aristotle struggled with many of the same difficult circumstances (more than two centuries ago) which most of us face in 2005: "...in his career as a teacher and a consultant to leaders of ancient Athens, Aristotle thought long and hard about what it means to live a good life and how much it takes to finance it. His thoughts on this matter are particularly applicable today, given the baby boom generation's anxiety over insufficient retirement savings and shaky investments: Aristotle shows how we can find happiness at almost any level of income. Moreover, he argues that the ability to find true contentment correlates only tangentially with the amount of money one has cached away. Unlike so many of today's `life advisors,' Aristotle integrates financial planning with the broader task of life planning." If the pursuit of philosophy is to serve as a practical guide to action, then the wisdom which Aristotle gained from his own experiences is indeed relevant almost 2,400 years later.
James O'Toole
Rodale Books
"Given the fact that he lived almost 2,400 years ago, what could Aristotle possibly have to say that is directly relevant now?" In fact, people -- especially those at mid-life -- are struggling to find meaning and happiness. Some ask, as Peggy Lee once did, "Is that all there is?" The purpose of this book is show how Aristotle is an effective guide on that search, and how he can help many people to find their own practical answer to a critically important question, "What's next?" In an interview appeared in the July/August (2005) issue of Chamber Executive magazine, O'Toole observes that "Aristotle was the most practical of all great philosophers. His audience was the business and political leadership of his day. He offered them wisdom they could apply in their own lives -- practical advice on matters ranging from ethical business practices to effective philanthropy. Aristotle even describes 'virtuous non-retirement' -- the lifelong commitment to engage in leisure work which is characterized by pursuit of the 'highest good' of individual excellence and the 'complete good' of community service. He offers practical tests to help us determine how much wealth we need to support us while we engage in those activities."
As O'Toole explains in this book, Aristotle struggled with many of the same difficult circumstances (more than two centuries ago) which most of us face in 2005: "...in his career as a teacher and a consultant to leaders of ancient Athens, Aristotle thought long and hard about what it means to live a good life and how much it takes to finance it. His thoughts on this matter are particularly applicable today, given the baby boom generation's anxiety over insufficient retirement savings and shaky investments: Aristotle shows how we can find happiness at almost any level of income. Moreover, he argues that the ability to find true contentment correlates only tangentially with the amount of money one has cached away. Unlike so many of today's `life advisors,' Aristotle integrates financial planning with the broader task of life planning." If the pursuit of philosophy is to serve as a practical guide to action, then the wisdom which Aristotle gained from his own experiences is indeed relevant almost 2,400 years later.
April 5, 2011
This is a "business world" complement to some of the recent attempts to make philosophy useful to modern people--for example, the engaging CONSOLATIONS OF PHILOSOPHY and HOW PROUST CAN SAVE YOUR LIFE by Alain de Botton. If you are over 4r or wo, a successful professional, and wondering "what else is there?", this might be a life-changing read for you.
December 15, 2024
The book explains the philosophy of Aristotle in a feel-good manner. For someone introspective, it was a really refreshing book to read as it feeds your need to audit your life and learn how to be a person.
November 2, 2008
I learned some aspects of Aristotle's ethics and their relationship to personal happiness, but I was not overly impressed by the biographical examples the author provided.
March 30, 2013
A should-read book on happiness in self development for knowledge workers, managers, executives, and entrepreneurs.
January 16, 2016
Provides excellent perspective and advice for those on the south side of age 50.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews