Following on from his wonderful translation of Ovid's The Art of Love , this is the next stage in bringing ancient wisdom bang up to date. Tom introduces, translates and comments on writers such as Cicero, Ovid, Seneca, Hippocrates, Plato, Aristotle, and Aristophanes, in themed sections which tackle medicine, mental decline, growing old gracefully, late love affairs, death and legacy. This is a far-reaching collection full of wisdom, humour and poignancy, and is much more than a straight translation - Tom uses translated segments to extrapolate on his own thoughts and ideas, which give the classic texts a modern, accessible, fun tone. Though he possesses a satisfying lightness of touch, there are serious ideas at play here. In his examination of old age, Payne necessarily examines death, and also, what meaning we can take from life. This short enjoyable read is also a considered exploration of 'big' ideas from the wisest of philosophical thinkers.