The Beatles and Philosophy: Nothing You Can Think that Can't Be Thunk (Popular Culture and Philosophy) [Paperback]

Michael Baur (Editor), Steven A. Baur (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 25, 2006 | Series: Popular Culture and Philosophy

The most popular musical group of all time, the Beatles also brought serious thought to the bubble gum-scented world of pop and rock music, with adventurous, profound, and sometimes mysterious lyrics that veered from the deliberate absurdity of “I Am the Walrus” to the rosy Rousseau-like fantasy of “When I’m 64” to the darkly existential/nihilist visions of “Eleanor Rigby” and “A Day in the Life.” In this lively new book, 20 Beatles-loving philosophers offer fresh insight into the lives and words of the Fab Four. Among the topics investigated are the groups’ critique of consumer culture; John Lennon and the Cold War; Paul McCartney’s philosophy of love, community, and politics; the Beatles’ struggle against the inauthentic; the ethics of chemically changed states of consciousness; the metaphysical standing of popularized Eastern meditation; and skepticism in the Beatles’ worldview. Like earlier titles in this popular series, The Beatles and Philosophy discusses complex issues in an enjoyable, highly readable fashion.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Open Court; 1 edition (October 25, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812696069
• ISBN-13: 978-0812696066
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #736,660 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beatle Musings, December 3, 2006

By 

BeatleBangs1964 (United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Beatles and Philosophy: Nothing You Can Think that Can't Be Thunk (Popular Culture and Philosophy) (Paperback)

This wonderful book makes me think of the 1965 George Harrison classic, "Think For Yourself." It is a nice blending of Beatle music and the Beatles' career with philosophical concepts ranging from the basic to the esoteric.

Inveterate Beatle fans will undoubtedly enjoy it. It is an interesting look at the Beatles and how philosophy interplays with their impact on culture as well as their music.

8 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Another Philosophy book, May 18, 2009

By 

Cathy Yu "Sam" - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Beatles and Philosophy: Nothing You Can Think that Can't Be Thunk (Popular Culture and Philosophy) (Paperback)

I picked up this book hoping to learn more about the background lives of the Beatles, what could've influenced their songwriting, and philosophy in a sense that meant: how did their music reflect life in the sixties/ what did their songs say about life/ or what kind of messages were the Beatles trying to give, if any? What i got was a book that answered half-heartedly my questions. I didn't know much about the phlosophical ideas of Aristotle or Plato, or any Ancient Greek philosophers for that matter, so reading this book was somewhat difficult.
The connections to the Beatles seemed... on the side. They seemed a lot more like citations than real analysis. Much of the book was classic philosophical ideas followed by two or three lines from a Beatles song or a quick reference to a specific part of one of the Beatles lives that were "cited" hopefully to back up the idea.To me, the authors of this book were just using the Beatles as an excuse to talk about philosophy.

7 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Nothing to Get Hung Up About, September 8, 2007

By 

Brian Lewis (Ridgefield, CT) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Beatles and Philosophy: Nothing You Can Think that Can't Be Thunk (Popular Culture and Philosophy) (Paperback)

Any book about the Beatles will be enjoyable for me. I can't help but think of their music while I am reading, and that is a good thing. But I did think the philosophical insights, while often on point, were extremely forced. The writers were often forcing Beatles lyrics into their prose as if that would make their philosophical case.

To be honest, much of the philosophy went over my head. I think one would need to be, not just a Beatles junkie (like me) but have been formally trained in philosophy (not like me) to get much out of this book.

If you're looking to read about the Beatles, go to A Day in the Life: The Music and Artistry of the Beatlesby Mark Hertsgaard, which is an astonishing analysis of their work. It's also a far superior book to the recent Beatles biography.