Meditations

I read the work as well. I enjoyed the look into Marcus Aurelius Antonius' mind quite a bit. I did not, however, think it a very good work. It lacks a real elaboration of ideas.

p.s. In the last line of your quote you made an error in spelling. It seems a shame to leave it there.

Yes, exactly. I'd love to have seen reasoning and the basis behind much of what is said. And again; you're quite right: It wasn't written with a whole lot of careful attention. But it so inspired me, on a simple human basis, that I almost felt it unethical to write anything akin to an 'objective' review (but I tried!). In our most private musings of thoughts, alone with our journal (keyboard?) we rarely, as "just people" delineate these things as they should be - rarely flesh them out for future generations. In all this, the work struck me as spontaneous and honest to the heart. But that's just my perception.

Arjen and Khethil,
I had a different feeling. Considering who this man was, to have these deeply humane insights that are normally dismissed by the ego of those of such power was to me an extreme rarity. I all had such musings, I think the world would be a different place. Just a thought.

Is this book free online?My library is an hour drive. My book store is five minutes away, along with two others fifteen minutes away.

I doubt whether any recent translation would be online for free, but there are numerous versions in slightly older translations (a Google search will give lots of hits).
I think most modern politicians and leaders should be made to read this book before they take office, however it is a pity that Marcus didn't pass on his learning to his son and sucessor, Commodus, who turned out to be a bloodthirsty tyrant who came to a sticky end. Maybe we're not all cut out to be philosophers!