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Episode 385

What can Homer’s Odyssey teach us about psychology and human nature? Locked up in this 2,500-year-old text are a host of profound lessons and ancient wisdom.

In her new book The Odyssey Mindset, Oxford classicist and clinical psychologist Sam Akbar draws on seven essential lessons from this classic piece of Greek literature. She showcases what it teaches us about issues like grief, ego and dealing with trauma - translating The Odyssey into a toolkit for modern life.

The book is out just as Christopher Nolan’s film The Odyssey hits the big screen. So if you want to have a deeper appreciation of Homer’s work before you visit the cinema, this one’s for you.

Rowan Hooper speaks to Sam Akbar about the incredible influence this work has had on Western culture, and Homer’s lessons for clinical psychology.

To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/

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