Author Information A. A. Long is an emeritus professor of Classical Philology and an associate professor of Philosophy at the University of California, Berkeley. His numerous books include "Epictetus: A Stoic and Socratic Guide to Life," "Stoic Studies," and (with Margaret Graver) "Seneca: Letters on Ethics." He lives in Kensington, California.

The Roman Stoic philosopher Epictetus (c. 55-135 AD), who was born a slave, taught that mental freedom is the highest good, as it can liberate one anywhere, even in prison. In "How to Be Free," A. A. Long—one of the world's leading experts on Stoicism and a pioneer of its remarkable contemporary revival—offers an excellent new edition of Epictetus's celebrated guide to Stoic philosophy (the Encheiridion) along with a selection of related reflections from his Discourses. For Epictetus, freedom is not a human right or a political privilege, but a psychological state.