101 Great Philosophers: Makers of Modern Thought [Paperback]

Madsen Pirie (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2009

A concise and accessible guide to the 101 greatest thinkers in the history of philosophy.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Fans of the "dip-in-and-have-a-go" approach to philosophy should form an orderly queue.' - City AM

Reviewed in The Guardian, 2010.

'[A] handsome armchair guide ... Pirie's gentle invitation to the rich treasure house of thinking that has been home to our civiliztion is terribly geniuine and persuasive.' - Good Book Guide

"A lecturer and TV commentator on economics and political philosophy based in Cambridge, England, Pirie offers a new take on philosophy 101 by summarizing in little over a page the ideas of thinkers he considers to have had most impact and significance on human thought. Some of those included who are not usually thought of as philosophers are Archimedes, Galileo, Isaac Newton, Benjamin Franklin, Mary Shelly, and Charles Darwin. The arrangement is chronological, but the philosophers are indexed as well." -Eithne O'Leyne, BOOK NEWS, Inc.

'Fans of the “dip-in-and-have-a-go” approach to philosophy should form an orderly queue.' - City AM

About the Author

MADSEN PIRIE is President of the Adam Smith Institute and author of numerous books including Boost Your IQ and The Sherlock Holmes IQ Book. He was formerly Distinguished Visiting Professor of Philosophy and Logic at Hillsdale College, Michigan, USA. He appears regularly as an expert on CNN and BBC television.

Product Details

• Paperback: 216 pages
• Publisher: Continuum (November 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0826423868
• ISBN-13: 978-0826423863
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #929,683 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Madsen Pirie is President of the Adam Smith Institute and author of numerous books including Boost Your IQ and The Sherlock Holmes IQ Book. He was formerly Distinguished Visiting Professor of Philosophy and Logic at Hillsdale College, Michigan, USA. He appears regularly as an expert on CNN and BBC television.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 101 Great Philosophers delivers, October 7, 2009

By 

A. I. Dodge "A Customer" (Harpswell, ME) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 101 Great Philosophers: Makers of Modern Thought (Paperback)

He admits frankly in the introduction that readers will no doubt question some of his choices and omissions. I wonder why he did not included modern thinkers such as Hernando de Soto and Francis Fukayama in this collection. That said, he devotes a page and a half of the book to every entry whether Plato or Charles Pierce. Each entry details a bit of the personal history of the individual and the rest about their thoughts.

The book certainly works well as an easy reference source for the philosophers included. I found myself learning and remembering the source of various schools of though, some of which I hold dear and never realised the source.

While not the most in-depth examination of the personalities that influenced modern thought, this does serve a useful purpose. And let's face it, any book about philosophy that does not make it seem dry and boring has to have something going for it.