We are bring back one of our all time most downloaded guests this week, Roman Krznaric. In this episode we discuss Roman’s most recent book, How Should We Live?: Great Ideas from the Past for Everyday Life. There are many ways to try to improve our lives—we can turn to the wisdom of philosophers, the teachings of spiritual guides, or the latest experiments of psychologists. But we rarely look to history for inspiration—and when we do, it can be surprisingly powerful. In this episode, the cultural historian Roman Krznaric explores twelve universal topics—including love, family, and empathy; work, time, and money—by illuminating the past and revealing the wisdom we have been missing.

Roman is a cultural thinker, writer, and founding faculty member of The School of Life in London. He has taught sociology and politics at Cambridge University and City University, London, and advises organizations including Oxfam and the United Nations on using empathy and conversation to create social change. He has been named by The Observer as one of Britain’s leading lifestyle philosophers.