Do You Think What You Think You Think? [Paperback]

Julian Baggini (Author), Jeremy Stangroom (Author)

Book Description

Release date: August 28, 2007

Explore the gray areas in your gray matter?philosophical brainteasers from the bestselling author of The Pig That Wants to Be Eaten

Is your brain ready for a thorough philosophical health check?

The author of the international bestseller The Pig That Wants to Be Eaten and his fellow founding editor of The Philosopher?s Magazine have some thought-provoking questions about your thinking: Is what you believe coherent and consistent?or a jumble of contradictions? If you could design a God, what would He, She, or It be like? And how will you fare on the tricky terrain of ethics when your taboos are under the spotlight?

Here are a dozen philosophical quizzes guaranteed to make armchair philosophers uncomfortably shift in their seats. The answers will reveal what you really think?and it may not be what you thought. Fun, challenging, and surprising, this book will enable you to discover the you you never knew you were.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In their latest philosophical novelty book, Baggini and Stangroom refashion the kind of frivolous quiz found in women's and men's style magazines—the kind with flippant multiple-choice answers adding up to a final score—as a philosophical tool. The challenges are amusing and fun enough to pass the time during a long commute, making for a kind of Philosophy 101 student's sudoku, but not much more. As in his previous book, The Pig That Wants to Be Eaten, Baggini encourages people to question common assumptions. Unfortunately, this book feels more superficial than its charming precursor. In the case of a quiz on free will, the scoring requires more time than the test taking. In another chapter, it's possible to conclude that Britney Spears is as great an artist as Mozart. The book's final measures the reader's absorption of the history of the discipline that's provided in the overviews and analyses surrounding each of the tests—but it's clear that learning the history of philosophy isn't the point. Once readers have completed the final tally, some may be disappointed to find that, no matter what their score, what you know about philosophy isn't worth knowing. (Aug.)
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Review

• From the author of the international bestseller, The Pig that Wants to be Eaten
• Based on the hugely popular Philosopher's Magazine website: www.philosophersnet.com
• Contains brand new quizzes never seen before
• Forget Sudoku - this will really make you exercise your brain!
• Praise for The Pig That Wants to be Eaten:
• 'Examines received opinions, things we take for granted, and dissects them entertainingly' The Times --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Plume; 1 edition (August 28, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0452288657
• ISBN-13: 978-0452288652
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #508,415 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Julian Baggini is the editor and co-founder of The Philosophers' Magazine. His books include Do You Think What You Think YouThink? (with Jeremy Stangroom), What's It All About? - Philosophy and the Meaning of Life and The Pig That Wants to be Eaten, all published by Granta Books.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 35 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars It's not what you think September 4, 2007

By Gordon Meyer

Format:Paperback

I found Do You Think What You Think You Think? on the new releases table at the bookstore and I was immediately attracted to its premise. It promises to uncover the reader's beliefs, and to help strengthen and identify one's core philosophy. So, I bought the book and looked forward to working through its exercises on my next airplane trip.

Unfortunately, my affection for the book, if not the concept, took a turn for the worse about two hours into the trip. At first, the authors draw you in with several questions that require you to make a concrete judgement about what are usually considered to be "gray areas." For example, you're asked to agree or disagree with the statement "It is always wrong to take another's life." That pesky word "always" be damned, make your choice--there's no "maybe" option available.

Later, after many more questions where my rationale (and answers) hung on the specific phrasing of the question, I learn that my overall score indicates, in the words of the authors, that I am either a mass of contradictions or a very subtle thinker. Thus arriving at my first indication that this book is really about making snap judgments, reading a pithy observation, then moving on to the next "gotcha."

Reading this book is an active endeavor. You'll need a pen to jot down your answers and, unless you're the type who writes in books, some paper to keep track of your scores and answers. And be prepared to do a lot of flipping of pages as you compare your impressions of a question to the author's assertions. In some cases, you'll find yourself disagreeing with how a question is phrased and then later re-interpreted to "prove" some point. In fact, the authors expect you to disagree and argue with the book. But as they say outright in its early pages, don't bother emailing or contacting them with your complaints, they just aren't interested. And for good reason, there really isn't enough meat in this book to have more than a Fox TV "whoever yells loudest" wins discussion anyway.

If you're looking for a little entertainment, with a Philosophy 101 bent, Do You Think What You Think You Think? might keep you busy for a while. If you're hoping to actually learn anything about yourself or discover a new way of thinking about life's big questions, keep searching.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars You have to THINK to read this, and worth every effort! October 15, 2007

By Bonnie

Format:Paperback

Wow! Delightful! This book is a series of games, almost like puzzles, that shed light on how you think...and how you stack up to other readers who have done these exercises online.

If you're of scientific bent, you'll recognize that the sample is perhaps too small to make strong conclusions about where you "stack up" But no matter, because the self examination that results in doing these games is amazingly informative, and unusual for most of us.

Here are some examples:
1. You'll choose between "agree or disagree" in a list of beliefs about how the world works... or... in another game, what's right, and what's "wrong" morally, then learn how consistent (or inconsistent) your belief system is.

2. You're given a series of simple logic puzzles (no math required) and it will be revealed how we sometimes may think we're being logical but can be distracted from the real thing

and many more! A formal education is not a requirement, but some real thinking is. You'll be surprised!

The writers' tone is neither abusive nor superior, but rather witty and fun! I ended up with a short list of things I'd like to ponder further, and the inspiration to do so.

If you are interested in how the mind works, and in learning about your own thought processes, this is a terrific book. I'd recommend it for every writer, of any form, for those interested in cognitive science or in psychology, and for anyone who wants to get and stay sharp, at any age.

You do not have to have a strong educational background to enjoy this book, but you do have to be unafraid to think and examine your own thinking! Fun!

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars I Know That I Know That I Love This Book September 23, 2007

By John Vechey

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I greatly enjoyed "Do You Think What You Think You Think" on every level. The book is a series of philosophical excercises that delve into your own logic, ethical, spritual and philosophical beliefs.

It does a good job of not saying any one way of thinking is right or wrong, but helps you gain insight into your belief system while pointing out gross contradictions to how you think.

Once I picked up this book I was addicted to it and finished it within a day. I've also recommended it to many friends and will continue to do so.