The Philosophy Book

Big Ideas Simply Explained

By: DK

Narrated by: Jason Culp

Length: 16 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's Summary

An essential introduction to the history, concepts, and thinking behind philosophy that demystifies what can often be daunting subject matter, laid out in DK's signature style.

Are the ideas of René Descartes, Mary Wollstonecraft, John Locke, and Thomas Hobbes still relevant today? The Philosophy Book unpacks the writings and ideas of more than 100 of history's biggest thinkers, taking you on a journey from ancient Greece to the modern day. Explore feminism, rationalism, idealism, existentialism, and other influential movements in the world of philosophy.

From Socrates to Confucius to Julia Kristeva, The Philosophy Book breaks down difficult concepts in an approachable style. Cutting through the haze of academia and untangling complicated theories to show how our social, political, and ethical ideas are formed, The Philosophy Book contextualizes the information around time periods, innovative thinkers, method, and philosophical approach.

The Philosophy Book is a perfect and comprehensive introduction to a complicated and fascinating subject.

©2015 DK (P)2019 Random House Audio

Critic Reviews

"In The Philosophy Book, the ideas and thoughts of more than one hundred of the most influential philosophers from the ancient world through today are presented in a succinct, yet highly readable, format. From all corners of the world and from different traditions and approaches to philosophy and the art of reasoning, the contributors to this excellent book highlight the impact of each philosopher on his society and how it affected the development of subsequent ideas. Students of philosophy or those interested in human thought will thoroughly enjoy this book. This volume is an excellent addition to a general philosophy collection." (Voice of Youth Advocate/VOYA Magazine)

Excellent starting point for learning philosophy

I downloaded this audiobook to get a general sense of philosophy and was not disappointed. In a clear language, the authors go through centuries of thinkers and explain their overall ideas, which shape how we think today. Made me curious to read more works from some of these thinkers. A superb experience!

Best listen to familiarize yourself

One of my best listens as I was aiming to get a brief and familiarize myself with the topic as a refresher before delving further; and I'm considering to purchase the hardcopy to keep it as a reference.

Delightful

fantastic. the only thing was the last section of the book said modern philosophy 1950- so I dont know why they spent alot of time on things before this time and overall i didnt get much from this section that I was hoping for. everything before that was great though.

review

I enjoyed the book very informative. breakdown different branches of philosophy. great for general knowledge

Rote recitation of facts

Brittle and dry, this recording strews facts and dates around like a child playing with blocks. There is very little explanation of ideas leaving the reader with no understanding of philosophical principles. Listen, and by the end of this recording, you will still know nothing of value that can be applied to Life.

Great synopsis

A great synopsis from which I learned a lot. It is very dense via audio so I will listen to it again soon.

For anyone familiar with many of the philosophers, this is a good way to augment the integration of thoughts.

Good For What It Tries To Do

Overall a worthwhile listen. Of necessity it does not dig deeply into any one area.

A straight hour while working

I can't say I've gotten through the whole thing or that I'm qualified in the slightest in determining the accuracy but what I can say is I listened for an hour straight had to skip back a few or more times to really catch things but I was engrossed. It's all just so interesting and that is in part to the excellent narration and setup.

Exactly what I needed.

Succinct and superbly informative. I was able to stay involved with the reading and relate to some of the ideas expressed. As a novice this was the perfect introduction to philosophy.

A very good overview

I am no expert, but I like philosophy. This is a great overview of the major concepts dealikg with philosophy.

Enjoyable and useful

I enjoyed the way the book puts the various theories and philosophers in context. I think this book could be of interest to anyone. It might be of particular interest to those studying for higher degrees.

Overall good, sometimes hard to keep track

Overall very good info and interesting. Sometimes difficult to keep track of all the important names, dates and how they flow together.

boring style. poor naryation. waste of a credit.

boring style. poor naryation. waste of a credit. i should be allowed a refund. do yourself a favour and try another book

Best book I've ever listened to.

This is not only the best philosophy book I've listened to, but the best I've ever digested altogether. A perfect introduction to philosophy. Works highly, highly recommended.