*Book and Image provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Summary:
From the publisher:
Philosophy will serve as an excellent guide for those interested in knowing about individual thinkers--such as Plato, Aristotle, Rousseau and Nietzsche, to name just a few--and the questions and observations that inspired them to write. By presenting individual thinkers, details of their lives and the concerns and circumstances that motivated them, this book makes philosophy come to life as a relevant and meaningful approach to thinking about the contemporary world.
Review:
This book is pretty much what you would expect it to be based on the title and the publisher's summary. It is a glimpse into the lives and philosophies of 100 western philosophers. As someone with a BA in Philosophy, I can tell you that this was a pretty pleasant refresher. If you are looking for a place to start in terms of studying philosophy, this is a good book.
I do wish that Stokes had either specified that it would be all western philosophers or that he would have included some alternate philosophies. In the US you don't normally get to study philosophers outside of western philosophy, and I had hoped that this book would introduce me to some new people. Also, while I applaud the idea that all the philosophers get the same number of pages, it was evident the author had problems with this. Sometimes the pages would be dense and you felt much was left out, other times they would be sparse and you could tell things were stretched.
If you're teaching or taking a Philosophy 101 course, this could be a good supplement. If you're wondering where to begin in your own personal philosophy readings, this is a good place to start. Overall, I give this book 3 hoots.
I do wish that Stokes had either specified that it would be all western philosophers or that he would have included some alternate philosophies. In the US you don't normally get to study philosophers outside of western philosophy, and I had hoped that this book would introduce me to some new people. Also, while I applaud the idea that all the philosophers get the same number of pages, it was evident the author had problems with this. Sometimes the pages would be dense and you felt much was left out, other times they would be sparse and you could tell things were stretched.
If you're teaching or taking a Philosophy 101 course, this could be a good supplement. If you're wondering where to begin in your own personal philosophy readings, this is a good place to start. Overall, I give this book 3 hoots.
Hoot!
No comments:
Post a Comment