The School Of Life

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by Mike Whyte (subscribe)

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Published April 7th 2011

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Ever think shopping is just a soporific experience, akin to the zombies in the mall of Dawn of the Dead? Well, it doesn't have to be.

For those who want to feed their minds as well as their eyes, The School of Life provides the ultimate tailor-made service. The shop acts as an intellectual hub for those curious about life outside of the 9-5. You can buy things to take home with you, of course, like a 'bonnetdebain' (a rather funny swimming cap with a print of a brain on the sides), or the rather scary 'handsoap' - probably better that you see it than me describe it!

This isn't the main point of the shop though, in fact the most interesting things are the services on offer. They regularly organise food-based events, where philosophy sits hand in hand with cocktails or cake - take the intriguingly titled 'Drinks with Sigmund Freud'; and then there are the evening and weekend classes, where you can purchase the chance to discuss the big issues in life. Notice 'classes', not 'courses' - for this is one of the unique features of the shop, the freedom to explore your mind through challenging and stimulating classes, without the pressure often put on you to commit to terms or years of study, as is often the case with evening and weekend courses.

My personal favourite aspect of this shop however has to be the 'bibliotherapy' option - where someone will look into your book reading habits or aspirations, and tailor a 'prescription' (or booklist, if you prefer) which should suit you down to a T. Now you need never be stuck on the Underground with only a copy of a free newspaper for company again!

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