Plato and a Platypus Walk Into a Bar: Understanding Philosophy Through Jokes

By Thomas Cathcart

This New York Times bestseller with a brand-new cover, is the hilarious, insightful philosophy course everyone wishes they'd had in school

" Cathcart and Klein] know their stuff and wear their learnedness lightly, and Plato and a Platypus is a pleasure to read . . . I can't help but love this book, and I have been quoting liberally from it." --Philosophy Now

P>"A hoot." --Times Literary Supplement

"What happens when you mix corny jokes, one-liners and vaudeville humor with some of life's great lessons? You get an extraordinary read you'll want to share with as many people as possible." --Orlando Sentinel

"The zaniest bestseller of the year." --The Boston Globe

"I laughed, I learned, I loved it." --Roy Blount Jr.

Outrageously funny, Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar has been a breakout bestseller ever since authors--and born vaudevillians--Thomas Cathcart and Daniel Klein did their schtick on NPR's Weekend Edition. Lively, original, and powerfully informative, Plato and a Platypus Walk Into a Bar is a not-so-reverent crash course through the great philosophical thinkers and traditions, from existentialism (What do Hegel and Bette Midler have in common?) to logic (Sherlock Holmes never deduced anything). Philosophy 101 for those who like to take the heavy stuff lightly, this is a joy to read--and finally, it all makes sense

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 141979230X
• ISBN13: 9781419792304
• Release Date: September 2026
• Publisher: Abrams Books
• Length: 208 Pages