Philosophy and trains are a good combination for me. On the train, I can think. Trains take me where I want to go at the speed of my thoughts. However, both philosophy and trains have something outdated: they were once vital to our everyday lives and now they have become quaint anachronisms. Technology leads us to believe that philosophy no longer matters. Who needs Aristotle when there are algorithms?

Highly successful author Eric Weiner embarks on an imaginative intellectual journey, following in the footsteps of the greatest thinkers in history, to show us how each of them - from Epicurus to Gandhi, from Thoreau to Beauvoir - can help us practically and intellectually confront the challenges of our time. An enjoyable and humorous odyssey to all corners of the Earth, to see the world from a different perspective, to discover hidden beauties, to seek new ways of living, and to learn how to embrace the miracle of existence, how to confront our mistakes, and how to keep hope alive. (From the book's back cover blurb) "If philosophy seems boring to you, read this book. Eric Weiner's storytelling will awaken your mind."