For Immediate Release
Contact:
Merrill Miller, 202-238-9088 ext. 105, merrillmiller@americanhumanist.org
(Washington, D.C., Oct. 1, 2014)—Humanist Press, the publishing arm of the American Humanist Association, is pleased to announce the release of Hiram Crespo’s first book, Tending the Epicurean Garden. The book, a mixture of self-help and philosophy, offers an updated take on ancient Greek wisdom from the sage Epicurus: Being smart about being happy means using the best knowledge and tools available.
Epicurus taught that our best purpose in life is not to please gods, but to be happy—a goal that is not as easy as it sounds, since short-term pleasures and selfishness create longer-term misery. Step one in Crespo’s plan for self-improvement and contentment is to rein in desires, so they become easier to satisfy, just the opposite of the luxurious indulgence so often incorrectly associated with Epicureanism. From there, he offers a blizzard of ideas, from healthy recipes that stimulate natural “feel-good” chemicals in the brain to the journaling of positive events, even on a bad day. The highest attainable happiness, though, is found in the bonds between friends and relatives and cultivating the relationships that make life worth living. Crespo’s recipe for a happy, fulfilling life combines proven methods with practical advice that anyone can incorporate into his or her life.
Tending the Epicurean Garden has already received advance praise from philosophers and laymen alike and has garnered international attention. Robert Hanrott, Epicurean philosopher and writer, praises the book as “a masterful job in describing the teachings of Epicurus and making them relevant to modern life… a wealth of useful information for anyone wishing to enjoy a peaceful and pleasant life.” Rick Heller, editor of The New Humanist and writer for the Secular Buddhist Association, commends Crespo for “present[ing] complex material, clearly written.” Alan Furth, an Argentinian writer and contributor to Las Indias, sums up the book as “an interesting interpretation of the teachings of Epicurus from the point of view of positive psychology, neuroscience and other scientific disciplines today.”
Hiram Crespo, a graduate of Northeastern Illinois University, is a blogger and founder of the Society of the Friends of Epicurus. His articles have appeared in the Humanist magazine and The New Humanist. He lives in Chicago, Illinois.
Copies of the book are available from Humanist Press in print and ebook formats. Paperback copies are $18.99 and ebook copies are $9.99.
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Humanist Press is the publishing house of the American Humanist Association, providing material for the humanist/freethought/atheist market since 1995.
Founded in 1941 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., the American Humanist Association (AHA) works to protect the rights of humanists, atheists and other non-religious Americans. The AHA advances the ethical and life-affirming philosophy of humanism, which—without beliefs in any gods or other supernatural forces—encourages individuals to live informed and meaningful lives that aspire to the greater good of humanity.