Customer Reviews

Looking At Philosophy: The Unbearable Heaviness of Philosophy Made Lighter

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The history of philosophy is fascinating for the ideas alone, but it is also a continuing debate among various thinkers in many different fields of study (physics, psychology, economics, anthropology...). Donald Palmer tells the story of some major thinkers of the West in simple language and illustrations, and yet manages to avoid treating the reader as a child (though a child could read this book and learn much). He provides a quick overview of Western thought from the early Greeks to twentieth century Poststructuralists for readers who are interested in philosophy but have never encountered it. This is a better introduction than Palmer's "Does the Center Hold?" which is organized by topics of philosophy rather than chronologically. However, if you are seriously interested in philosophy, you will want to read more, and he provides a good bibliography with suggestions for primary and secondary sources at the end.

I use this textbook as an introductory guide to Philosophy at a small state college. The students like it, and can actually get through it, and yet it is smart, and doesn't dumb down big ideas.

This book is just wonderful, and the author even has a sense of humor. From this, we go on to Seinfeld and Philosophy, and finally Cohen's book A Philosophical Approach to Jokes, if that's the right name. Of these, Palmer's book is far and away the most helpful.

I wish there was just a little bit more about the importance of these ideas as they are reflected in the polis. For instance, he goes through the ideas of Hobbes but doesn't talk about where they lead, or the social implications of his ideas.

My personal interest in the history of Rome and Ancient Greece led to a desire to learn more about philosophy. I was looking for a good overview of the history and development of philosophy, something simple to understand, yet thoughtful, comprehensive, and engaging. Happily, I discovered Palmer's book and have studied Philosophy regularly ever since.

This book provides just the right mix of serious appreciation and humorous perspective on the study of Western philosophy. It examines the major schools and philosophers with enough depth to understand the development of the science, but not enough to overwhelm or, worse yet, bore. Palmer's approach is to make Philosophy not an unreachable, unfathomable science better left to the professional academic, but an engaging and challenging field of study.

If you have any interest in Philosophy, this is the book to start with.

I bought this book for my Philosophy 101 class. I tried to sell it back but the bookstore wouldn't let me. Although I hated the idea that I wouldn't be getting my 30 bucks back, little did I know that this book would serve as an important tool for my Literary/Criticism class (which I am currently taking). It definitely clarifies complicated theories with a touch of humor added to the descriptions. There are also sketches in the book that are also humorous, yet provide the reader with a mental image on the topic at hand.

This book is one of the best books I have seen to help break down the burdens of the history of philosophy...It is a book that all would enjoy, from beginners to advanced philosophers. It is straight to the point and in layman's terms, even a child could understand it.

Philosophy like its sister disciplines of science and mathematics is not considered a popular subject. Rarely will you see philosophy sections in a book store sold out. Very seldom will a philosophy book make the New York Times Best Seller list. Philosophy is the bedrock of our civilization but is considered boring. What can be done to spark the public's interest in such a fascinating subject?

Donald Palmer resolves this question by writing a book which lightens the load of understanding western philosophical thought from Thales to Paul Sartre. Philosophy, was thought to be the domain of academicians, nerds, eccentrics and geeks has been unshackled from its chains. Palmer provides us with a text that is understandable, reader friendly, enjoyable and takes the subject seriously but not "gravely". His work is not an insult to the intelligence of those who take the subject seriously nor is it a watering down of the major fields of philosophical thought.

I enjoyed reading this text which serves as a refresher course in western philosphy. Its illustrations and graphs are excellent tools in explaining the subject to the uninitiated. Reading about philosophy with such a format elicits pure joy. Watch out for the type face which is not the 12 point Times Roman. Oh, the author takes up the question of the absence of women in the tomes of philosophy. His thesis in dealing with this question is quite interesting. Enjoy this fresh approach in appreciating western philosophy.

'Looking At Philosophy: The Unbearable Heaviness of Philosophy Made Lighter' by Donald Palmer lives up to the promise in its title; It is a very brief overview on the history of philosophy, covering most major philosophers through history, starting with the Greek philosophers, and ending with the modern philosophies.

It is an extremely light read. I found myself reading far ahead of the assigned chapters, simply because I was enjoying myself. The illustrations are humorous, though sometimes silly, especially for a text book.

The light reading can also be problematic. I found myself referring to other resources for a full understanding, because the author did not cover (I felt) enough ground on most subjects, leaving me without only a surface understanding of the concepts.

This book would be better suited to a high school class, rather than a serious, college course.

Overall, the text was refreshingly enjoyable, though oftentimes fell short.

I have the 1988 edition so I can't vouch for this edition.

But I have to say if it is anything like this one then by all means grab it. A very readable style with plenty of humours illustrations that make this an unputdownable book. Don't let the cartoons fool you though, you will learn alot.

This is perhaps, the best introductory book on philosophy that exists. Palmer, as usual, presents philosophy in this book in a manner that both explains the underlying assumptions and meanings of philosophy and answers the question, why should we care about philosophy. Any work by Palmer is worth reading.

This book got me to look at philosophy more... It's a great book if you just need a reference, without a lot of analysis by critics, or the actual philosophers themselves, which can get mind-numbing at times. It's great to get, if just for the cartoons (you end up having to read the text to make sense out of most of the cartoons). But no, I don't know if I can explain the naked-male-prostitute-riding-on-a-bicyle cartoon, which is actually in here (and not a figment of my imagination). But don't let that keep you from buying...