<DIV>Included in this volume are the dialogues <b>On the Shortness of Life</b> and <b>On Tranquility of Mind</b>, which are eloquent classic statements of Stoic ideals of fortitude and self-reliance. This selection also features extracts from <b>Natural Questions</b>, Seneca's exploration of such phenomena as the cataracts of the Nile and earthquakes, and the <b>Consolation of Helvia</b>, in which he tenderly tries to soothe his mother's pain at their separation. </div>