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The Philosophy Prescription
  • Published: 3 October 2026
  • ISBN: 9781911742005
  • Imprint: Torva
  • Format: Hardback
  • Pages: 256
  • RRP: $49.99
Categories:

The Philosophy Prescription

Lessons from Big Thinkers for Every Stage of Life

Formats & editions
Hardback
3 Oct 2026
EBook
3 Sept 2026
Audiobook
3 Sept 2026
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What can the world’s greatest thinkers teach us about how to live a good life? A bitesized introduction to philosophy for those who loved The Novel Cure or The Poetry Pharmacy.

When faced with life’s most difficult, existential questions we often feel alone. Who am I? What should I value? Why should I go on? And yet, while they feel unique, many of the anxieties, disappointments, and uncertainties in our lives are universal.

Philosophy is the space where we commit to an honest dialogue about this situation: the good-faith attempt to cut to the heart of the matter. What does it mean to be someone's child, or their parent? What is the purpose of beauty? And what can a Japanese sage teach us about death?

There may be no guidebook for life, but there is comfort in knowing there are others who have gone through all this, too. Warmly written and full of timeless wisdom, The Philosophy Prescription invites you to join the shared search for answers.
  • Published: 3 October 2026
  • ISBN: 9781911742005
  • Imprint: Torva
  • Format: Hardback
  • Pages: 256
  • RRP: $49.99
Categories:

About the author

Jack Maden

Jack Maden is the Founder and Director of Philosophy Break, a social enterprise dedicated to making the wisdom of philosophy accessible. He lives in London.
JM

Praise for The Philosophy Prescription

This is a truly welcome addition to the popular-philosophy genre: deep, wise and wide in range, yet both accessible and strikingly relevant in what it draws from the rich tradition of philosophy's insights into life and its challenges. Greatly to be recommended.

A. C. Grayling, author of The History of Philosophy

The Philosophy Prescription proves that philosophy isn't for stuffy academics in ivory towers and woolly cardigans — it's for everyone. Maden has a rare talent for being able to translate huge and complex ideas into something we can all understand and apply to our lives. In here you'll find ancient wisdom from the titans of the philosophical canon alongside curious tidbits from the dusty obscura at the back of the bookshop. Every page offers something to think about, something to try, or something to take into the rest of your day. An utter gem of a book — wise, warm, and quietly life-changing.

Jonny Thomson, author of Mini Philosophy

A primer on the best thoughts - and best questions - humanity has ever had. An engaging read, full of wisdom. You'll revisit it over and over again.

Scott Hershovitz, author of Nasty, Brutish and Short: Adventures in Philosophy With Kids

You didn’t ask to be born, but now you’re here, you have questions — about relationships, work, aging, illness, death, and how to live. In The Philosophy Prescription, Jack Maden draws on the insights of philosophers throughout history to answer existential questions and encourage us to ask them. A wonderfully accessible, wide-ranging introduction to philosophy as a guide for life.

Kieran Setiya, author of Life is Hard: How Philosophy Can Help Us Find Our Way