Introductory but a bit dull
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This book sets out the basics fairly well but it is a bit mechanical,
this bit follows that bit, and it is fairly obviously rather like Philosophy for beginners but not as entertaining or well-drawn.
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Tries to cover too much ground
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I like this series in general, but this book just tries to cover too much ground. Including many minor philosophers such as Anaxagoras or Gilbert Ryle means that immense figures such as Plato (virtually reduced to a defender of authoritarianism) and Kant are squeezed into to a few pages, with 2 for Spinoza and 1 for Hume. With this kind of book, oversimplification is inevitable but here the oversimplification leads to serious distortion of the message. If you want something better, look at my other reviews.
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Lucid introduction
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My 12 year old daughter has come to like philosophy having read Stephen Law's 'The Outer Limits'. She read a page or so out loud on the way to school by car every morning and we discussed it. The presentation makes these books especially suitable for discussion since so little actual reading is involved and the illustrations give the eye something to latch on to. We found the book surprisingly meaty with challenging little comments here and there that suggested further discussion. The illustrations inspire thought and make quirky criticisms from time to time. They are also consistent between books which adds to their enjoyment - we are reading 'Introducing Aristotle' at the moment and have spotted an image of Berkeley in an appropriate place - he is otherwise unidentified. This may be a little obscure but does make the series more fun to read.
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Introducing philosophy
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This is a good place to go if you wish to learn about the basic ideas in philosophy. It isn't too heavy a read and introduces you to all the main areas and themes of philosophy that you'd wish to explore. It is interesting to see where and how ideas developed and how they impact on philosophical thought today. This book is clear and written in the usual 'Introducing...' format, i.e lots of pictures and asides to clarify points. Well worth a look if you want to learn more about philosophy, but don't want anything too heavy or convoluted.
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a great overview
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This book was definitive and general enough without oversimplification, explaining all that any one really needed to know about the basic tenets of philosohy, that it provided me with a first class for my primary university year of study in philosophy.
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