The Consolations of Philosophy, by Alain de Botton, read by the author (Penguin, 2 tapes, 3 hrs, £8.99 in UK)

Whether Proust actually changed anybody's life is still a moot point, but in this follow-up bout of popular philosophising the indefatigable de Botton sets out to persuade us that Socrates, Epicurus, Seneca, Montaigne, Schopenhauer, Nietzsche et al can be applied to common everyday problems, with beneficial results. Despite the deftness of touch that has turned him into a publishing phenomenon, The Consolations of Philosophy does not constitute easy listening, though de Botton's mellifluous tenor is certainly easy on the ear.