The Consolations of Philosophy is a remarkable achievement - it seems at once obvious and yet very challenging to attempt adapting great works of philosophy to everyday life. Alain de Botton does this well and it will make you consider whether there should be more modern attempts to integrate great thinking with practical endeavours. This is a book with undeniable value, even though many of the key points may appear self-evident and perhaps a little contrived to fit with a "self-help" narrative. This criticism aside, de Botton is an excellent writer and this is a really good introduction to these philosophers and their world views. I feel he is closer to what philosophy should be than most these days. Also, I loved learning about Montaigne who is very underrated.