Book · 2019
How to Think Like a Roman Emperor
by Donald Robertson
A psychotherapist rebuilds Marcus Aurelius's private notebook into cognitive-therapy exercises, then shows up in the comments to defend how he read the emperor's mood.
What does Reddit think of How to Think Like a Roman Emperor?
This is the r/Stoicism book with the author in the comments. The top-upvoted thread (↑435) is Donald Robertson himself, replying to a claim that his book paints Marcus Aurelius as melancholy; he pushes back specifically on that reading. A separate ↑123 comment reacts to spotting him: 'Holy crap it's Donald Robertson! I really enjoyed How to Think Like a Roman Emperor!!' That's a different kind of endorsement than a stranger's book review. Beyond the novelty, the recurring use case is gateway: a ↑149 comment credits it as 'what got me into stoicism,' alongside a caution that it's not a substitute for actual therapy. A ↑88 comment names a specific chapter, The Contemplation of Death, for memento mori practice. It shows up on reading lists (↑76) next to Meditations and Seneca, not instead of them. 154 of 157 tracked mentions come from r/Stoicism alone.
Community feedback & reader fit
Themes
- · author engages his own readers
- · gateway book into Stoicism
- · the Contemplation of Death chapter
- · supplement to Meditations, not a replacement
Common praise
- + A ↑149 comment credits it directly as 'what got me into stoicism,' not just a good read.
- + The ↑88 comment names The Contemplation of Death chapter specifically for memento mori practice.
Common criticism
- − The ↑149 comment that recommends it also warns the book isn't a substitute for therapy if you're genuinely struggling rather than reading out of curiosity.
- − With 154 of 157 mentions from a single subreddit, there's no outside-Stoicism read to check this enthusiasm against.
Who it's for
New to Stoicism and looking for a door in rather than the primary texts cold? The ↑149 comment is basically your testimonial. Want your ancient philosophy to double as cognitive-therapy homework? That's the pitch behind the Contemplation of Death chapter people cite by name. Dealing with something serious rather than reading out of curiosity?
Mentions over time
Top subreddits
Which Reddit comments matter for How to Think Like a Roman Emperor?
The most relevant excerpts across the subreddits where this book is mentioned — opinionated, argued takes first, then top-upvoted mentions. Click through to read the full thread.
“How to Think Like a Roman Emperor might help you out, it’s what got me into stoicism. I don’t know if you’ve been to therapy, but if you’re really struggling with mental illness then they can help you develop skills …
“Holy crap it’s Donald Robertson! I really enjoyed How to think like a Roman Emperor!!
“How to Think Like a Roman Emperor by Donald Robertson has a good chapter called The Comtemplation of Death, which is pretty good. But basically think about it. Think about the subject constantly. Do not allow it to be taboo in your mind; death in itself is nothing to fear - the suffering associated …
“Read ‘How to think like a Roman Emperor’, Donald does a really good job at making many Stoic techniques easily digestible and applicable
“How to think like a Roman Emperor by Donald Robertson is an excellent starting point in my opinion
“How to Think Like a Roman Emperor. It's an easy-to-read and interestingly told biography of Marcus Aurelius, so that removes the intimidation factor of learning a philosophy. In addition, at the end of each chapter the author offers several practical exercises one can immediately try. The biography …
“I’ve been reading the “how to think like a Roman emperor” book about stoicism and how it impacted him and how it connects to modern CBT. Super interesting stuff, he had the right idea!
“I would recommend reading, 'How to Think Like a Roman Emperor: The Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius' - Book by Donald Robertson. He has a whole chapter about identifying our vices in the early stages and suggests ways to practice stoicism from there. Stoicism takes practice just like anything …
“Love Donald Robertson. How to Think Like a Roman Emperor introduced me to Stoicism at a time when I really needed it and in a way that was so natural and understandable.
“I've used Stoicism to end my addiction to nicotine. What worked for me was embracing discomfort and perceiving it as something beneficial. Beneficial pain is what perseverance feels like. Donald Robertson's book 'How to Think Like a Roman Emperor' helped me a lot too. There are some techni…
“**Happy** *by Derren Brown* I find to be a great book on Stoicism "in disguise". It doesn't necessarily portray itself as a Stoic book but most of it content stems from Stoic ideas. **How To Think Like a Roman Emperor** *by Donald Robertson* is a book that I keep recommending again and again. Whils…
“Id say "How to think like a roman emperor" by Donald J. Robertson is a good pick for a starter book. He is a psychotherapist who realized a lot of the tools he was taught were also taught by the stoics. Its a simple read, made for the average person. Where he both goes into the fundamentals of stoic…
“The book you need is"how to think like a Roman emperor" by Donald j Robertson. It's about meditations but reach section is clearly explained with examples and stories from Donald's life. It's also broken out into sections like how to handle anger, how to handle loss etc. it's much more readable and …
“Personally, I'd recommend "How to think like a Roman emperor" by Donald Robertson before diving straight into "Meditations"
“Great to hear you're taking some steps to straighten things out, you might have jumped in the deep end going straight to Discourses though! My introduction came from reading "How to Think like a Roman Emperor" by Donald Robertson (really interesting and accessible mix of historical narrative to put …
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Readers also mention
Books that share discussion threads with How to Think Like a Roman Emperor — counted from the comments, not curated.
Guides featuring How to Think Like a Roman Emperor
Ranked best-of lists and editorial guides where this book's tracked mentions place it.
How to Think Like a Roman Emperor — frequently asked
Has the author of How to Think Like a Roman Emperor responded to readers on Reddit?+
Yes. The top-upvoted r/Stoicism comment (↑435) is Donald Robertson himself, replying to a reader's claim that his book frames Marcus Aurelius as melancholy, and pushing back on that specific reading. A separate ↑123 comment reacts to recognizing him in the thread.
Is How to Think Like a Roman Emperor a good first Stoicism book?+
The displayed evidence says yes for a specific reason: a ↑149 comment credits it as 'what got me into stoicism' rather than praising it in the abstract. It's consistently listed (↑76) alongside Meditations and Seneca as an entry point, not a replacement for them.
What does the Contemplation of Death chapter in How to Think Like a Roman Emperor actually cover?+
A ↑88 r/Stoicism comment points to it by name as useful for memento mori practice, thinking regularly about death without treating the subject as taboo. That's the only chapter singled out by name across the tracked mentions, which makes it the closest thing to a specific recommendation the data offers.
Can How to Think Like a Roman Emperor replace therapy?+
No, and the same thread that recommends the book says so. The ↑149 comment credits it for getting the commenter into Stoicism but separately flags that if someone is genuinely struggling, therapy is the actual next step, not just this book.