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"If one keeps on walking, everything will be alright." So said Danish writer Søren Kierkegaard, and so thought philosophy buff Gary Hayden as he set off on Britain's most challenging trek: to walk from John O'Groats to Land's End. But it wasn't all quaint country lanes, picture-postcard villages and cosy bed and breakfasts.
In this humorous, inspiring and delightfully British tale, Gary finds solitude and weary limbs bring him closer to the wisdom of the world's greatest thinkers. Recalling Rousseau's reverie, Bertrand Russell's misery, Plato's love of beauty and Epicurus' joy in simplicity, Walking with Plato offers a breath of fresh, country air and clarity for anyone craving an escape from the humdrum of everyday life.
Gary Hayden is an English journalist and popular philosopher. He has written for several publications including The Times Educational Supplement, The Scotsman and Singaporean newspaper The Straits Times. He is the author of You Kant Make It Up!: Strange Ideas from History's Great Philosophers. He lives near Tokyo, Japan.
"Affable."
– Times Literary Supplement
"Walking with Plato is a highly personal read, and Hayden's warm, funny style lends itself well to this approach, inviting the reader along for the adventure [...] The book should appeal to fans of travel writing, hiking, and philosophy alike."
– Psych Central
"Hayden's trains of thought are fascinating, informative and often surprising."
– The Great Outdoors
"A warm, engaging page-turner that still delivers on the profundity promised in the title."
– Countryfile Magazine
"[A] wonderful new book [...] pondering the philosophical truths of walking."
– Country Walking
"A helpful and delightful reminder of the important things in life"
– Washington Post
"Gary Hayden is the armchair traveller's ideal companion as he tramps "end to end" from northern Scotland to Land's End. He is an adroit peripatetic teacher."
– Daniel Klein, bestselling author of Every Time I Find the Meaning of Life, They Change It and Travels with Epicurus
"A compelling reminder that serious reading sustains – even transforms – lived experience."
– Booklist
"Part travelogue, part philosophical notebook, Hayden's chronicle lifts the spirits with its lightness of touch."
– Mark Vernon, author of Plato's Podcasts: The Ancients' Guide to Modern Living
"Truly amusing anecdotes and lovely writing"
– Publisher's Weekly
