Michel de Montaigne was a contemporary of Shakespeare who, after having played his part in France's terrible wars of religion, retired to his estates and decided to write about what he knew best--himself. And so in his likes and dislikes, his reflections on history, his loves and his travels, he brought to life, not just one man, but all human experience. "What do I know?" he asked. If not himself and his own soul, then nothing else. (Summary by Pamela Nagami, M.D.)
Chapters
1 That Men by Various Ways Arrive at the Same End 12 min 2 Of Sorrow 8 min 3 That the Soul Discharges her Passions upon False Objects, Where the True Are Wanting 6 min 4 That the Intention is Judge of Our Actions 5 min 5 Of Liars 16 min 6 Of Quick and Slow Speech 7 min 7 Of Constancy 7 min 8 Of Fear 8 min 9 That Men are Not to Judge of Our Happiness til after Death 8 min 10 That It Is Folly to Measure Truth and Error by Our Own Capacity 11 min 11 Of Friendship 31 min 12 That a Man is Soberly to Judge of the Divine Ordinances 7 min 13 Of the Custom of Wearing Clothes 10 min 14 That We Laugh and Cry for the Same Thing 8 min 15 Of Solitude 32 min 16 Of the Inequality among Us 23 min 17 Of Ancient Customs 9 min 18 Of the Vanity of Words 9 min 19 Of Prayers 27 min 20 Of Books, Pt. 1 19 min 21 Of Books, Pt. 2 21 min 22 Of Cruelty, Pt. 1 22 min 23 Of Cruelty, Pt. 2 18 min 24 Of the Inconstancy of Our Actions 18 min 25 Use Makes Perfect, Pt. 1 15 min 26 Use Makes Perfect, Pt. 2 16 min 27 Of Glory, Pt. 1 19 min 28 Of Glory, Pt. 2 19 min 29 Of Presumption, Pt. 1 20 min 30 Of Presumption, Pt. 2 21 min 31 Of Presumption, Pt. 3 22 min 32 Of Presumption, Pt. 4 25 min 33 Of Giving the Lie 13 min 34 Of Liberty of Conscience 12 min 35 Of Virtue 21 min 36 Of Anger 21 min 37 Of Profit and Honesty, Pt. 1 13 min 38 Of Profit and Honesty, Pt. 2 17 min 39 Of Profit and Honesty, Pt. 3 17 min 40 Of Repentance, Pt. 1 14 min 41 Of Repentance, Pt. 2 13 min 42 Of Repentance, Pt. 3 17 min 43 Of the Inconvenience of Greatness 16 min 44 Of Managing the Will, Pt. 1 23 min 45 Of Managing the Will, Pt. 2 23 min 46 Of Managing the Will, Pt. 3 24 min
