Cicero, the great Roman orator and statesman, wrote a short book on friendship that is helpful. By an older character talking to two younger men, he makes the case that friendship is critical to happiness, and that it is based chiefly on virtue. In fact, the greater one’s virtue, the greater one’s capacity for happy friendships.

There are gems in this book about how friendships flourish and die, the dangers of flattery, the importance of criticism, and how to be a true friend. It is the kind of book that one will want to read more than once.

A high school or middle school student can benefit from it.

The translator includes the Latin on the left-hand pages and the English translation on the right.