Extravagance and comfort are placed on the chopping block in this collection of ancient Cynic works. M.D. Usher, the Lyman-Roberts professor of classical languages and literature at the University of Vermont, has assembled and translated numerous pieces from ancient Greek and Roman Cynics, as well as from those who defended the Cynics or at least applied some of their traits.
“How to Say No: An Ancient Guide to the Art of Cynicism” is part of Princeton University Press’s ongoing Ancient Wisdom for Modern Readers series and discusses less about saying no to others than it does about saying no to oneself.
