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nike_1212's review against another edition
4.0
Definitely well written and told with sensitivity and nuance. I really appreciated the fact that the author was able to let those people from the past come to life, and make me engage with the manner by which so many thoughts that still linger came about. I listened to the audiobook but I would love to read a physical copy. Hopefully, this brings more people closer to philosophy!
dellaposta's review against another edition
5.0
The author has managed to make intellectual history both riveting and beautiful. I loved the book and learned a great deal about the lives and ideas of its colorful cast of characters: Sartre, Beauvoir, Heidegger, Camus, Husserl, Merleau-Ponty, and many others.
katy_ryn's review against another edition
One of the most accessible books on philosophy I’ve read - I loved the integration of biographies and ideas
fyttikatta's review against another edition
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
4.0
margareads's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
slow-paced
5.0
bemjanim's review against another edition
informative
reflective
slow-paced
3.5
probably couldve read this faster ngl
nickedkins's review against another edition
5.0
I thought this was a great way to dip my toes into existentialism. From the subtitle, I was a bit worried that it would all be brooding photos of Camus in a trenchcoat and quips from de Beauvoir and Sartre, but there were plenty of sections actually discussing the ideas in reasonable detail. I'd mostly encountered Heidegger in the context of people saying how difficult and dense the writing was, so it was enlightening to get the backstory of his gradual movement into his own enclosed world of ideas.
Overall, a very effective gateway book.
Overall, a very effective gateway book.
mxunsmiley's review against another edition
5.0
At first I was a bit skeptical but this turned out to be an entertaining look into the lives of the prominent existentialists. I think it is a good introduction to their thinking, it certainly has piqued my interest because I had a completely different idea of what existentialism was about before reading this. It's also cool to see how their philosophies aligned with their political ideologies throughout the course of historical events, for better or worse (especially in the case of Heidegger... glad he's dead).
pixie_d's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.5