What do we really need for a happy life? Over two thousand years ago, a Greek philosopher, Epicurus, gave an answer that seems simple: pleasure. All we really need is pleasure. Today, we tend to associate the word "Epicurean" with the enjoyment of good food or wine and with a decadent hedonism. But this is light-years away from the vision of a pleasant life as conceived by Epicurus, who focused on mental rather than physical pleasures, on the avoidance of pain rather than the direct pursuit of pleasure. His goal, in short, was a life of tranquility. With his vivid and elegant writing, Sellars unfolds the history of Epicurean philosophy, from a private garden on the outskirts of ancient Athens to the streets of ancient Rome, analyzing a completely different way of thinking about our place in the world and the meaning of death. A book that inspires and enlightens, drawing from ancient wisdom highly relevant lessons and offering us a new way to perceive what is important in life.