30-Second Philosophies: The 50 Most Thought-provoking Philosophies, Each Explained in Half a Minute [Format Kindle]

Philosophy has a reputation for being obscure, highfaluting, and not terribly practical or useful. However, if one is not easily dismayed by these misconceptions then it's possible to learn a lot about the world and our conceptions of it from studying some of the most interesting philosophical questions. This well designed and well-written short introduction aims to present some of the most thought-provoking ideas from the rich history of philosophy. Whether you have never read any philosophical work or are a seasoned armchair philosopher, you will find many interesting pieces of information within the covers of this book. It provides a brief reference for 50 philosophical concepts or idea. These are explained in short 300 word sections, with an accompanying illustrations and several even shorter references. The topics covered include: Frege's puzzle, Hume's problem of induction, the brain in a vat, Pascal's wager, Plato's cave, and many more. The explanations are very lucid and intuitive, and they only require some good old common sense for the full understanding. The illustrations are done in a mock fifties style and they convey a slight panache for self-irony. The book is printed on a high-quality glossy paper and can almost function as a coffee table book. It makes a nice little reference or can be used as a thoughtful gift.

It is my sincere hope that this review is taken in the vein that it is meant- I do not mean to say anything negative about the concept of this book or the attempt to make philosophy accessible. I think it's clever and had high hopes for it. I know a little bit about a few philosophers, but I was hoping that this would expand my horizons. Unfortunately, I found that this book was just too condensed to really explain the philosophies that are presented in a well-rounded way. The nuances that make philosophy interesting are just lost. The few philosophers that I did know something about were presented in such an abrupt way that I found myself shocked and at a loss. So much about what the philosophers say are lost in this format, and there isn't enough context given to facilitate real understanding. If I argued a position based on the information in this book, I would be laughed at by my peers that have taken the time to get to know the material. I felt like this format was dangerous for that reason- it's just enough to make one feel like they know something they would actually know almost nothing about if this book was their only resource. At its best, this book might introduce the reader to an idea of interest, but she or he would need to read more somewhere else in order to really understand what the philosopher's position was.

I hate to write such a negative review, but I wanted to give my true opinion in the hopes it would be helpful to someone else.

Very brief, one page articles. They are a little more than an encyclopedia article. A good primer for a curious layman or a high school student.

By the way, there is an illustration on every other page, and they are just plain stupid.