Heads Up Philosophy

I recommend this book for beginners. I also recommend the one star review to add more useful information. It's what we learn after we know it all, is what it's about, anyway. KillerOceans.Com

This book is very readable and reinforced my knowledge of the history of western philosophy. Since I constantly need refreshing on philosophical school of thought, I will refer back to this book from time to time. This book was well worth the money and I'm going to hang onto it.

The book is organized primarily by topic, such as "How do you know anything exists?" and "What is a logical argument?" This should have been more stimulating than it was. Instead, it bogged down with stuffy, almost academic language that took the joy out of the inquiry. Here's a random sample: "Logic helps us to analyze an argument -- to see its structure, or logical form. We can then assess whether or not the conclusion follows from the premises. An argument is said to be valid when we can deduce [work out] the conclusion from the premises. Such an argument is known as a deductive argument. In a deductive argument, IF the premises are true, the conclusion must also be true. But being able to deduce the conclusion from the premises is not enough to prove that the conclusion is true; it also depends on the content of the argument." (etc.) While it covers the bases in presenting the major themes of philosophical inquiry through the ages, the book reads like a textbook, not like a general-interest book for the curious. The writing is dry, it doesn't convey the passion of philosophy, and the little sidebars and bubbles of info weren't enough to offset the plodding text. I enjoyed its occasional philosopher biographies much more, probably because each individual's life story includes challenges that are more than just academic. This book can't compete with Sophie's World: A Novel About the History of Philosophy (FSG Classics) -- a much more engaging introduction to the fascinating world of philosophy.

A very good introduction to a difficult subject. I've been reading philosophy for thirty+ years and still found it enjoyable.

I LIKED THE approach to the big questions. But the book needs to splain why they are important. Or is that another book?

Received an advanced reader’s copy in grayscale. Book is small and pages are crammed with text (though useful, it can be difficult to look at). DK’s other philosophy encyclopedia is much nicer!

It's fun to read and covers a lot of ground, but not as deeply as "The Philosophy Book" from the same publisher.

Great little book giving a brief overview of various aspects and insight into philosophy. Wonderful resource.

Nice Read....

It's set out simply and easy to follow, but I found myself always learning something new and different. I haven't finished the book yet, but so far so good.

Easy to read layouts

an accessible guide to philosophy for beginners; bought for my teenage daughter