Meditations Paperback – 29 Nov. 2014

As a linguist and translator I have to say that this is an appalling translation. The vocabulary used is totally inappropriate for the period of antiquity in which it was written - full of Americanisms like "guys". The English grammar was so bad I couldn't follow the meaning. In the end I gave up and removed it from my device replacing it with a far better translation that did not even cost me anything. I could have done a better job myself.

This translation is completely unreadable - like maybe they just fed the text into google translate? Unfortunately I left it too long to return this for a refund, but please please please learn from my mistakes and don't order this version! As an example, this is the first couple of lines copied faithfully:"MARCUS AURELIUS ANTONINUS turned into born on April 26, A.D. 121. His actual name was M. Annius Verus, and he changed into sprung of a noble own family which claimed decent from Numa, 2nd King of Rome."I was also surprised at the many references to Marcus Aurelius's many web pages:"on the very first web page of his book..."etc

DO NOT BUY! Don’t waste your money buying this abysmal translation. I have no idea how this has gained any reviews more than one star - it is largely unreadable gibberish, and the word ‘software’ should definitely not be present! Should be removed from Amazon.

Don't bother. A very poor translation by someone who needs to study the English language. Search for a recommended version. I gave up after struggling with the introduction.

The kindle edition shows the (excellent) translation of G. Hays for the Modern Library. If you switch to the paperback, the cover shown is different, but you would assume that the translation is the same. It is not.The paperback I received is a shoddy reprint of an archaic and unreadable pre-modern translation. The name of the translator is not given, but it is certainly not Hays. Amazon gave me a refund, but I am now unsure how to get a copy of the Hays translation in paperback. I would not chance ordering any of the editions of the Meditations on Amazon.

Who on earth published this? On the last page, it says the end and printed by Amazon. It certainly wasn't designed by anyone remotely connected with the book printing industry. From what could have been an attractive, easy to read textbook had it been given to a graphic designer or someone in the publishing business, it is a disgrace. Glossy covers, perfectly bound on really inferior grade paper, set in 8pt type solidly leaded, practically unreadable. Atrocious.

The philosophy in this ground grounds you. Although written is 160 AD I feel it still holds resonance in today's world. Very good read, not too difficult to read like some philosophical texts can be and I would recommend it to everyone. As it's written in 'books' which equates to chapters within them it contains numbered paragraphs, sometimes leading on the same vein as the last, some switching to a different subject. It shows it stream of consciousness perfectly and also holds fascinating details about life as a roman emperor in that era

Even in the introduction, most of the sentences don't make sense - peppered with words that you'd expect a machine translation to provide instead of a proper translator. But it gets really bizarre in the text itself. In the very first paragraph of Book I is this gem:"Of my mom I actually have located to be non secular, and bountiful; and to forbear, not most effective to do, but to mean any evil; to content myself with a spare eating regimen, and to fly all such greater as is incidental to terrific wealth."It doesn't get any better. Regrettably I didn't start reading the book until a few weeks after purchase, so no chance to refund. My only comfort is to leave this review instead.