Customer Reviews

Does The Center Hold?: An Introduction to Western Philosophy

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book is probably as good as any other general overview of philosophical ideas. It covers epistemology, ontology, religion, freedom, ethics, political and social philosophy, and art. Donald Palmer includes some people quite a lot (Plato, Marx, Freud, Sartre) while there are many philosophers who are not mentioned at all, but considering the number of philosophers and their numerous ideas, this may not be a fair objection.

What makes this book different from others is that it is very light reading. It isn't condescending, or excessively simple, but Palmer writes in a conversational manner and with a frank, sometimes humorous tone. And you see how no philosophical ideas, however convincing, are free from being challenged and scrutinized. This may not be a book you refer to time and again, but for a relaxed and entertaining introduction to different branches of philosophy, Palmer does a fine job. Tedious and confusing language is something you won't have to worry about.

Since reading it in a high school philosophy class, for years I've found this book the best introduction to many branches of philosophy. Easy to read and written with a sense of humor, it's a fun guide to the ideas and the questions that have made people think for thousands of years. You will find Palmer's book both enlightening and entertaining, whether you've never read philosophy before or are graduating with a degree in it.

This book is an excellent introduction to philosophy. The author makes complex philosophical problems relatively clear without sacrificing their inherent complexity, and he organizes philosophers and philosophies according to their response to various philosophical problems. His writing is fair and honest and he does not appear to have an axe to grind. The illustrations are both humorous and really helpful. It is through books like this that anyone can gain insight into the importance of philosophy and its ramifications in daily life.

This topical introduction has hundreds of humorous illustrations drawn by the author. Writing in an engaging conversational style, he presents the issues typically covered in introductory courses, but with unusual clarity. I used the first edition several times as the core text for my Introduction to Philosophy class with great success.

Those who have read the first edition will miss the wonderful handwritten script. It has been replaced by a font called Tekton that is, unfortunately, somewhat tiring to read.

A handwritten typeface and lots of amusing illustrations by the author make this an unusual book. It's a very light survey with very little source material but it is framed in a very humorous way which might make it more digestible to younger audiences. I read it in the park over a few days in a few 3-4 hour blocks and never really tired of it, in fact I immediately tracked down the authors other book and read that the same way. I think this would be an excellent book for high school students.

A LIFE SAVER!!!! While our current epistemology is founded on classical philosophy...who can read and understand it?!?!?! Donald Palmer's book "Does the Center Hold" is a wonderful addition to any college course's dry text book. The question is why a teacher wouldn't use it as the main text is a mystery to me!!!

While philosophy is a difficult subject to master and I am convinced becoming secure in philosopher's and their differences is more than a 3 credit course can offer, this book will help a beginning student through the hair pulling stages of, "WHAT ARE THEY TALKING ABOUT????" Take my word for it....Why? Because I have survived philosophy with the help of this book AND I still have my beautiful pageant hair!!!

BUY IT!!!

All the illustrations in this work make it fun to learn philosophy as an introductory course. Easy to understand. Thought-provoking and engaging. :) I highly recommend this to those who are apprehensive to learn philosophy for the first time as a student, or for those that like to learn on their own.

I purchased this book for my Philosophy class and I must say it is a very easy text to understand. The illustrations help dirve points that would normally be overlooked. I enjoyed this book a lot.

I got it before the expected arrival date! I wa very happy with how quickly my product was shipped to me! I am very pleased with this purchase.

This book is a good introduction to philosophy. It covers allot of history and basic ground work for philosophy. I really enjoyed the illustration. I thought they might be distracting but they are not, they help to create a visual picture of some of the more complicated ideas. This book can at times get a bit heavy so I recommend reading it slowly and really think about what you are read in order to get the most out of this book. I don't recommend you scan it quickly. That would be a waste of a very good read.