Who recommends it
- Christian B. MillerInterview
Alternatively, the other recommendation I might make is to pick up a contemporary book that helps to make philosophy fun and interesting. I personally liked Sophie’s World by Jostein Gaarder when I was starting out. Although it is long, it is a fun read, with a combination of a mystery story and a survey of the…
- Helen StewardInterview
I think What does it all Mean? by Thomas Nagel is still very hard to beat. Think by Simon Blackburn is another cracker. Sophie’s World by Jostein Gaarder – also often recommended as an introductory book – is fine until about halfway through – don’t read any further than that if you don’t want to end up throwing it…
- Ella MortonInterview
I would recommend teenagers to read Sophie’s World by Jostein Gaarder. It’s a novel about the history of philosophy. I read it when I was 14, the same age as the main character, and it completely blew my mind at the time. In complete contrast, Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller also helped quench some of my youthful…
- Paul WilliamsInterview
I have repeatedly recommended philosophical novels that ask deep questions, such as Pirsig’s Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance and Gaarder’s Sophie’s World.
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