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tbray0204's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book, the chapters follow the layout of the podcast and include all the best giraffe puns. It's really hard to find a good history of Philosophy that doesn't just focus on a few core thinkers and concepts. Adamson delivers on his promise and leaves nothing out.
dorinlazar's review against another edition
5.0
This is pretty huge - the polished transcript of the History of Philosophy podcast brings to „paper” (I read it on Kindle, of course) the popularization of such a wonderful topic. An excellent and quite useful introduction tool in studying the ancient European philosophy, this book is a good starter. Worth the read, but also, I heartily recommend the podcast itself.
amy_da1sy's review against another edition
No rating because I had to do this for my course
uderecife's review against another edition
5.0
What makes this a great history of philosophy is precisely its “without any gaps approach”. This because, as Peter Adamson himself recognizes on the last section of this book, if you’re studying philosophy in, say, an undergraduate course, and you’re doing the usual flyover on the whole history of the great philosophers that are most of your classes, usually “you might reasonably expect to jump from Aristotle to, perhaps, Descartes, leaping over about 2,000 years of history in the process” (ADAMSON, 2014). Yes, time is short and there’s too much of the good stuff to cover without having to deal with what most histories deem the minor thinkers.
This is unfortunate, because with such huge gaps in the narrative, you get the impression that some of the thinkers, or their ideas, just come out of the blue, making them seem more extraordinary than they really were.
Well, not in Adamson’s History. The key feature here is really his “without any gaps” approach. This is what makes this a must-be companion for all who truly want to know how ideas came to be in the first place.
So, if you’re a history of philosophy buff like me and you really want to know as much as possible about the minor things leading to the great ones, this is definitely a must-read for you too.
From almost every conceivable minor thinker to the big, big ones, where you also get to see not only all the great, but also the smaller things they thought, said and done; from the great men (for they are usually only men) to the great women; from the usual great biographical moments to the tiniest details that make up the perfect conversation starters at parties, nothing here is left out. For this is truly A History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps.
This is unfortunate, because with such huge gaps in the narrative, you get the impression that some of the thinkers, or their ideas, just come out of the blue, making them seem more extraordinary than they really were.
Well, not in Adamson’s History. The key feature here is really his “without any gaps” approach. This is what makes this a must-be companion for all who truly want to know how ideas came to be in the first place.
So, if you’re a history of philosophy buff like me and you really want to know as much as possible about the minor things leading to the great ones, this is definitely a must-read for you too.
From almost every conceivable minor thinker to the big, big ones, where you also get to see not only all the great, but also the smaller things they thought, said and done; from the great men (for they are usually only men) to the great women; from the usual great biographical moments to the tiniest details that make up the perfect conversation starters at parties, nothing here is left out. For this is truly A History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps.
breeze3662's review against another edition
5.0
[5]
Amazing introduction to the world of philosophy and the ancient Greek philosophers. The book is a product of a very famous podcast series, and so the writing style is very conversational, and full of dry humor and puns (which I love). It is a blend of a history book and a philosophy book, and in my opinion the perfect entry point to the world of philosophy for the newcomers.
As the title suggests, the author attempts to provide a history of philosophy without any gaps, which means at times talking about philosophers or certain works of philosophers which are not very well known. However, this helps connect the whole story through a single string, making it a really compelling history book. Even though at times it is painful to learn about philosophers with weird names that you will forget about in just 2 pages, the author connects all the chapters so well that you never feel lost.
Overall, one of the best books I have read in a long time. The book is first in the series 'History of Philosophy without any Gaps' and I definitely intend to continue with the next book in the series.
Amazing introduction to the world of philosophy and the ancient Greek philosophers. The book is a product of a very famous podcast series, and so the writing style is very conversational, and full of dry humor and puns (which I love). It is a blend of a history book and a philosophy book, and in my opinion the perfect entry point to the world of philosophy for the newcomers.
As the title suggests, the author attempts to provide a history of philosophy without any gaps, which means at times talking about philosophers or certain works of philosophers which are not very well known. However, this helps connect the whole story through a single string, making it a really compelling history book. Even though at times it is painful to learn about philosophers with weird names that you will forget about in just 2 pages, the author connects all the chapters so well that you never feel lost.
Overall, one of the best books I have read in a long time. The book is first in the series 'History of Philosophy without any Gaps' and I definitely intend to continue with the next book in the series.
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