Here s how to make the move from mediocrity to greatness following the footsteps of Plato, Aristotle, Shakespeare, and others. In their sequel to the popular How to Get a Life, Vol. I, college professors Lawrence Baines and Daniel McBrayer offer more thought-provoking morsels from some of the world s greatest minds. How to Get a Life: Empowering Wisdom from Thinkers and Writers takes the reader beyond History, delving into how these remarkable men and women made their indisputable marks on the world. In the same biographical-sketch format made popular by How to Get a Life, Vol. I, each historical icon gives compelling advice on how to conquer adversity and achieve greatness with courage, tenacity, and focus. The book features insights into the art of living from 15 magnificent lives Plato, Aristotle, William Shakespeare, John Locke, Thomas Jefferson, Ralph Waldo Emerson, J.D. Salinger, Marcus Aurelius, Mihaly Csisksznetmihalyi, Walt Disney, Laura Esquivel, Eudora Welty, Colin Powell, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and Catharine Sedgwick. "