Philosophers: Extraordinary People Who Altered The Course Of History.

Bys: Hugh Barker and Nicola Chaltone

Image is same as cover. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 143511017X
• ISBN13: 9781435110175
• Release Date: January 2008
• Publisher: Metro Books
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 2.00 lbs.

Customer Reviews

An Excellent Resource

This book appears to be out of print at the moment in the US, which is a shame because the book is quite good (sometimes I just can't understand how this book business works!). The book provides a snapshot of the lives and thought of more than 100 philosophers spanning from ancient to contemporary times. This includes nearly all of the usual big names, as well as some thinkers you probably haven't heard of (eg, Li Si, Kukai, Avicebrol, St. Albert, Joseph Butler, and Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi -- see what I mean?). While the selection emphasizes Western philosophy, there are plenty of Eastern and Islamic philosophers as well, so the breadth and diversity of the scope is impressive. Most philosophers are covered in two pages, although a few only get one page. While this might not seem like much space, the authors manage to pack in a good bit of meaningful content by choosing wisely and writing clearly and concisely. Moreover, the information is organized well for each philosopher, with overviews, key ideas, a short biographical chronology, and key points on legacy. A book like this obviously can't provide in-depth coverage of any philosopher, but it provides an excellent and efficient survey and summary, and also provides a basis for identifying philosphers to study further. Moreover, among the many philosophy survey books of this type, I would rank this one as among the best. Highly recommended to anyone interested in philosophy.