Socrates' Way: Seven Keys to Using Your Mind to the Utmost

I am reading the book Socrates' Way and I am emotionally moved and intellectually charged. I have never met Ronald Gross who has authored this book, but I feel his passion for both humanity and our ability to use critical thinking to help ourselves and others through his pages. I appreciate the uses of illustrations and sharing of insights and stories through this book as that it challenges us to only to think but to live with integrity.

For many the term 'Socratic' evokes the countenance of the hemlock-drinking gadfly of Greek antiquity or the pedagogy of the iconic Professor Kingsfield in the 1973 film, "The Paper Chase." For author Ronald Gross, the designation is symbolic not just of a man or inquisitional teaching style, but also of a distinctive and rewarding orientation to life itself, one he claims to have - - - and makes a compelling case for believing he has - - - lived for the past twenty years. Socrates' Way introduces this approach, personified by the ancient philosopher some of us thought we knew but didn't, or at best knew only superficially from some long-forgotten Western Civilization class. By reputation most of us are acquainted with Socrates the provocateur and logician, ever-ready to deflate an untested assumption or weak argument with pointed and masterfully-aimed questions. Fewer of us are familiar with the other Socrateses revealed in this book: the friend, the conversationalist, the bon vivant, the citizen, the soldier, and the student. As the author points out, these and other lesser-known faces of the legendary philosopher represent personal potentialities that we can develop if we are willing to follow his example as embodied in the Seven Keys, to which each a full chapter is dedicated. As with many of the authors' previous works such as The Independent Scholars' Handbook and Peak Learning, Socrates' Way is a chockablock with his trademark blend of reasoned encouragement, concrete examples and practical applications. Some may find certain Keys (e.g. "Grow With Friends") difficult at best and impracticable at worst in what appears at times to be an increasingly anti-intellectual age. If such is the case it is worth noting that Socrates himself did not always find such precepts easy to observe, as his ultimate demise demonstrates. That said, I cannot imagine anyone's days not being enriched by embracing at least one of these principles. Socrates' famous dictum pronounces that "the unexamined life is not worth living." Given the example of the full-blooded Greek sage so ably portrayed in the pages of this book, one is inclined to believe he would similarly admonish that the unlived life is not worth examining. Socrates' Way shows us not only how to explore such a life, but how to walk a path befitting such scrutiny.

I have been reading this book and find it helpful in the extreme. It's one of those you feel you can't put down and at the same time, you must, to consider what you'll do with what it says. Over a year ago a few events in my life caused me to stop and think about what I was really about. Not liking what I was finding, I determined an overhaul was in order. In each area of my life I began to take responsibility and stop blaming others and circumstance for things I was unhappy about. I determined to live with clear conscience, personal responsibility, and genuine compassion for those I come in contact with. Reading THE SEVEN HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PEOPLE was one of the things that caused me to ask serious questions of myself. HOW TO THINK LIKE LEONARDO DA VINCI sparked my curiousity further. SOCRATES' WAY is having a similar profound effect on me. It is quite easy to read but challenging to apply. I am grateful to the author for taking the time to make this book available. I consider it a great treasure. Any one who is genuinely serious about self improvement will benefit from reading and contemplating on what's in this book.

For eons Socrates has been an inspiration to legions of thinkers. Now, in the 21st century, it is possible to become reacquainted with this great philosopher through the person of Ron Gross. Ron Gross has not only studied Socrates, but he has integrated Socrates' personality and approach to life in his own character. For example, it is not unusual to see Ron walking the streets of Manhattan in toga and sandals.It is possible today, through Ron's writing and his public appearances, to meet an incarnation of Socrates living in the modern world. This is what Ron's new book, Socrates' Way does. It brings Socrates into the modern world, making his work approachable and relevant to our lives. Socrates' Way sets the stage for you to examine your life. It was Socrates who said that the unexamined life is not worth living. If nothing else, this book at least sets the tone for you to examine your own life, to look at all things with a questioning eye, and to not take things for granted. In a world where we are overloaded with information, much of which is questionable, if not outright mythological, it is particularly important to be able to analyze what we hear and see and to sift between truth and artifice.This is a highly readable book which I recommend for anyone who is on the path of self-improvement.

SOCRATES' WAY is immensely intelligent, yet user friendly; informational, yet inspirational. I am a devoted fan of Ron Gross's PEAK LEARNING, yet this latest read is something that I have been personally looking to discover for some time now. As an owner of an educational resource service, I'm always searching for books that I can recommend which will educate students in a subject area, while simultaneously instructing about important life values.I have added SOCRATES' WAY to my latest resource guide, and will recommend it highly to educators from high school through college. The book is one that will be enjoyed by anyone, yet I can see how it would greatly assist in teaching today's learners about living well, through an accurate understanding of Socrates, himself.I found it personally interesting, as the beginning chapter which is to "Know Thyself," is similar terminology that I have chosen for the opening in my most recent catalogue. Similarly, Ron Gross writes of "Strengthening Your Soul" toward the end of the book, which I have likewise placed in the conclusion of my catalogue resources. I found this placement of content to flow in a very fitting manner, both professionally and as an interested reader. It isn't difficult to envision students and teachers dissecting each chapter, step-by-step, resulting in each individual being able to "Know Thyself," which is what we aspire to as the end result of education.It was enlightening to read the forward by Michael Gelb, author of HOW TO THINK LIKE LEONARDO DaVINCI, which is also one of my favorites to recommend, for similar reasons. Admirers of "LEONARDO" will most definately find SOCRATES' WAY to be a most enriching resource. You'll want keep it on your bedstand to gain inspiration, as well as give copies to the special people in your life. A must read!!