Thank you Net Galley for an opportunity to read this book for free in return for an unbiased review.

This book is a series of quotes from ancient and not so ancient thinkers on topics such as friendships, health, faith, leadership, family, politics and death.
It is a bit choppy since it is all quotes without segue. Some quotes are long and some are short but it shows that we all think about the same things century after century.
It is a nice reminder of words of wisdom across the ages

Fun, light and oddly practical. Can help even the most careless reader achieve a bit of cosmetic erudition. Not an in-depth look but the kind of vade mecum that can be used to personal benefit when read slowly, memorized and used as a prompt to head to the library and check out the full source material.
The classical thinkers/writers are not 'cool' in a world in a damn hurry, but the hope is that this easily digestible format of their 'greatest hits' might open a few eyes and hearts to their value.

Part of my disappointment with Cisero on Social Media probably has to do with my expectations of the book, which we’re definitely that it was going to be more of a philosophical analysis and exploration of how the past might illuminate some universal truths about the struggles we humans face today. However, it really is just a book of quotations, and not one that I found to be very comprehensive, at least for my progressive worldview.

This IS an interesting collection of quotations from thinkers across the ages, so it’s a good reference book from that perspective. And it allows the reader to interpret the use of those quotations themselves in many instances, which is also a nice touch. In general, though, I was at best disappointed and at worst sometimes a little peeved at the seemingly obvious viewpoint of the editor and his goal in publishing this book.

A lovely little reminder that many modern problems are the same struggles humans have always faced, just set in a much different frame. Finding wisdom in the past is a tried and true method of inspiration and quelling that ever present feeling of being alone in your doubts and worries, and ‘Cicero on Social Media’ is no exception. As with other collections of its kind, this one is best enjoyed in bits and pieces as needed, as opposed to all in one swing. The succinct and organised format make it easy to search for relevant quotes for exactly the struggle you’re facing at any given time.

Thank you to Netgalley and Mike May for an opportunity to read an e-galley of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The preface of this collection by thinkers introduces the reader to the idea behind this book while reminding us there is really nothing new under the sun. " While it may seem that our generation faces new and unique problems, despite many changes in technology and circumstances, humanity itself has changed little. For many of today’s problems, some remarkably similar situations have been met and overcome in the past."(Kindle Locations 35-36)
Michael May has compiled thoughts by people like, St. Paul, Cicero, Jesus, Darwin Marcus Aurelius et al to see if what they said may have some application for today.
For example, Aesop words gave me pause when I think that so many people are gauging friendship by the number of Facebook "friends" they have. "He that has many friends, has no friends". Æsop, c. 600 BC (Kindle Location 80)
However. the author is not just taking on social media. What do the writings of these thinks have to say about adolescence, fitness, death and dying?
For me this is a book I will use as a reference book rather than one to read through. I have occasion to do public speaking and these thoughts may grab the attention of the audience and maybe make me sound intelligent--nothing wrong with that as long as I give credit to the source.
I received a copy from the publisher through Netgalley.com with the expectation i would read it and give an honest review.

Michael MAY. Cicero on Social Media . Kindle Edition.

Cicero on Social Media is a collection of quotes from ancient Greece and Rome up to the early twentieth century. Mike May, the editor behind this self published effort tells us in the Preface (and on his GoodReads author page) that the impetus behind the collection was his discovery of the “surprising frequency” with which ancient texts hold answers to seemingly modern problems.

The quotations are offered with no comments, and May says that he prefers that the authors speak for themselves. Nevertheless, his editorial hand is displayed in the quotes he has chosen and how he has grouped them -in chapters like “on Family, Marriage and Parenting” or “on Faith and Purpose”.

This is a book that seems meant to be picked up and put down often, a reference of sorts for quotations relevant to today’s circumstances. For review purposes I read the book pretty much straight through.

The title is a bit curious, and likely more of a marketing device than anything else (but what title isn’t?). There are of course quotations from Cicero, but they don’t really stand out among the many other men (yes, they are all men) whose quotations the author has chosen. And the chapter on “Social Media” is really about friendships, which, unfortunately, seem to be less and less what social media is about these days.

The ancient quotations, likely for copyright reasons, seem to be from older translations and are often couched in Elizabethan English with sentence constructions that are a bit of a challenge to parse for modern readers. I had to re-read more than a few of them to absorb their meaning.

It may seem obvious that a book that encourages us to look to the past to find solutions for today’s problems might lean toward a conservative view of the world. But I must admit that thought didn’t occur to me until I was about half way through the book. And I wasn’t prepared for the emphasis on quotes that support the small government, trickle down, anti-abortion, pre-Trump-Republican viewpoint that becomes very clear as you progress through the quotations in this book.

That’s not to say that there aren’t many quotations in this book that, taken by themselves, don't convey modern political overtones. But May’s editorial intent is quite evident even if he himself speaks little in this collection. If you are already of a similar view of the world, this book will likely appeal to you more than it did to me.

For a different perspective on looking to the past for answers to today’s problems, here’s a quote not included in the book, from Leslie T. Chang, author of Factory Girls: “The past has been there all along, reminding us: This time--maybe, hopefully, against all odds, we will get it right.”

RATING: Two Stars ⭐⭐

NOTE: I was offered an ARC copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This such an interesting book! I found the thesis and case study incredibly interesting and very insightful

Quick Summary: A book of quotes on various subjects

My Review: Cicero on Social Media by Mike May was, essentially, a book of quotes. With this book, readers are able to get insight on a number of topics by visiting the minds and words of various historical figures.

This work offered a multi-range of speakers from the ancient to the modern theorist. The book could be digested in one sitting, however, it would likely be better appreciated in more savory bite-sized portions.

My Final Say: While I did like the idea of this book, I confess that I was a little disappointed at the limited number of speakers. The quotes repeatedly came from the same men. I would have truly appreciated more diversity with the voices. I think the thoughtful inclusion of female voices would have been fresh and particularly interesting.

Rating: 3/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: A

I voluntarily read this book. The words I have shared are my own. Thanks to the author, to publisher, and to NetGalley.

For me, this was a bit disappointing. Essentially simply a book of quotes from philosophers, essayists, scholars, and literary greats that have insights that relate to current issues -- friendship, politics, etc. I was expecting more commentary, but there is none. In the prologue, the editor explains that the quotations speak for themselves, and they do. I, however, would have appreciated some current commentary/explanation that would point out the similarities and differences for today's audience. If you're really into classical literature (Shakespeare, Emerson) or philosophers (Cicero, Plato) or biblical (Paul the Apostle, Martin Luther), then this is an inspirational book, but the outdated vocabulary and syntax will be difficult for the general audience. Yes, there were "AHA" moments, but I was looking for a bit more. Clearly, the word "Editor" on the cover should have been an indication. I just overlooked that bit.

This is a lot of fun, I enjoyed this book - quoting the work of Cicero - very much. As someone who studied classics I think this would make a great gift for a Classicist.

I found the title misleading, since this book contains quotes by many poets and philosophers on a variety of topics.
I believe most, if not all, quotes can be found in public domain, so nothing new, except the way the author grouped them by topic.
I would have preferred the author to add some commentary to each quote, and draw out the relevance to modern times, and to clarify the lesson contained in the quote.

I enjoyed the style of this book, bringing the classics studies from my long past university days to the modern world of social media and strife. I felt this book was more like a digital coffee book that you read here and there and ponder and not as a straight forward novel. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review. 4 out of 5 stars

This is a book of quotes. Not quite what I was expecting. Some are entertaining, but there's no other dialog with the quotes. They're just there. I suppose I was looking for some additional narrative about the quotes.

This is one man's collections of quotes by Cicero wherein he attempts to weave a thread of explanations or descriptions of what is going on in our world today from the great man's words. It's a quick read for the enthusiast or those friends we all have who need to over-explain the way the world is working. My thanks to NetGalley and the editor for a complimentary copy of this work.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy.

My first time reading from this author, and I enjoyed this book, the book is a collection of thoughts from some of the greatest thinkers of the past, a bunch of quotes.

For a quick pick me up and read. Give it a try!! Enjoy the quotes.

The only interesting thing about this book is its cover to be quite honest. When it says it's a "book of quotations" it really is just that. Lazily thrown together quotations by men. And that's the thing, why does it only have to be men being quoted in this book, aren't we collectively over that? I don't even think the book answers its own prompt sufficiently. Go on Instagram and go down a rabbit hole of cringe motivational/quotation posts. At least you can send those to your friends and have a laugh.

I have to admit, I was expecting these quotes to be more impactful and pithy--more of the kinds of things that actually make rounds on social media. I'm glad I had a look over, but I think it was overall just an average quote book arranged into themes. Might have been better for a different audience!

Mike May has done an awesome job with his new book Cicero On Social Media with quotes from Darwin, Marcus Aurelius, Ralph Waldo Emerson and yes Cicero and many more. They not only have great sayings but also great put downs that if you know what you’re listening for are very funny. I love all languages and so I really enjoyed this book but even if you don’t you’ll still like this book it’s just more proof that people haven’t changed just trends in the way we speak. They have chapters on athletics making it through adolescence gossip the list goes on and on and it’s so enjoyable I’m so glad I got to read this book. Books like this are definitely up my alley and I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Kudos to Mike May for thinking of this what a great book! I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

I really did not know what to expect with Cicero on Social Media, however, I was pleasantly entertained with the different quotes from famous philosophers, writers, and more as if they were tackling the problems of today's society...on Social Media. Who doesn't often see many quotes left on their Twitter feeds, Instagram stories, and Facebook walls that try to speak to the current political or social problem facing the world? Mike May has pulled in some of the "wise" quotes from historical figures as if they were currently on Social Media and trying to sway you to follow.

Different areas were tackled, such as Dieting, Faith, Politics, Parenting, and Death. I read this not cover to cover but by jumping around to the different topics, made easy on the Kindle. Some quotes were long and hard to slog through, but for the most part, the quotes were interesting.

Definitely give this "light" read a chance. Would make a good coffee table book!

Thank you to Micheal May and NetGalley for the digital ARC. The opinions expressed are my own.

As one who applies ancient teachings to the modern world I found this an interesting approach to applying ageless wisdom to our times. I would love to see more such efforts.