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diannel_04's review against another edition
Not as funny as Plato and a Platypus, probably because the subject was death.
The jokes are old and tired and it's just not funny.
The jokes are old and tired and it's just not funny.
studyvan's review against another edition
3.0
There were bits that I found interesting but ultimately it was flat and the parts weren’t woven into each other in a fluid way which made me pause a lot.
kultaa's review against another edition
4.0
Oh my, I laughed so much while reading this one. A humorous trip through the history of philosophy from Plato to Kirkegaard an Nietzsche. Even though I was familiar with most of the quoted positions, I still enjoyed it a lot seeing them being put together in a new and enlightening way.
So, why just 4 stars? Well, as sorry as it makes me feel for such an unique book, you just cannot write a chapter on eternal life, twins, teleportation and personal identity without consulting Derek Parfit. You just can‘t. So, if chapter 6 made you curious please consider reading Part III of Parfit‘s Reasons and Persons. Everyone with a fancy for a little Science Fiction and unusual philosophical thinking will enjoy it a lot! I promise!
So, why just 4 stars? Well, as sorry as it makes me feel for such an unique book, you just cannot write a chapter on eternal life, twins, teleportation and personal identity without consulting Derek Parfit. You just can‘t. So, if chapter 6 made you curious please consider reading Part III of Parfit‘s Reasons and Persons. Everyone with a fancy for a little Science Fiction and unusual philosophical thinking will enjoy it a lot! I promise!
sarahconnor89757's review against another edition
4.0
I'm one of those people who like really dry nonfiction books; I'd be more than happy with a book of bullet points of statistics and theories. This book is not at all like that and so although at times I wanted more facts and a more intellectual approach to the subject of death I got the appeal. It's great for people who people who don't excited by text books but still like philosophy.
mparker7298's review against another edition
3.0
Tried to read this book as fast as possible because I just wasn’t enjoying it. I like the idea of accessible philosophy, and the cartoons and jokes throughout could have enhanced the content...but I found most of them unamusing. The idea is great but I didn’t love the execution
quodfelix's review against another edition
3.0
This is one more in a series of light-hearted but useful romps through some issues of philosophy. Of the three I've read so far, this one is the most serious. All of the books have helped clarify who my "favorites" are (Kirkegaard, William James, and Paul Tillich remain high on my list). This one closes with a shout out to James that captures my feelings toward the study of philosophy in general, and so I'll share it:
"But there's this one guy who stands out from the pack, an American philosopher from a hundred years ago names William James. He said a couple of things that hit the old coffin nail right on the head. Like he said philosophers aren't a whole lot different from you and me when it comes to how they arrive at their beliefs about the meaning of it all. He said all of us get our answers to the big questions sort of by intuition. He called it our 'dumb sense of what life honestly and deeply means' -- and he didn't mean 'dumb' as a put-down, either. Whether we're professional philosophers or just ordinary schlubs like Freddy and me, we mostly rely on our gut for our sense of what it's all about. James said we all have our own way of 'just sensing and feeling the total push and pressure of the cosmos.'"
"But there's this one guy who stands out from the pack, an American philosopher from a hundred years ago names William James. He said a couple of things that hit the old coffin nail right on the head. Like he said philosophers aren't a whole lot different from you and me when it comes to how they arrive at their beliefs about the meaning of it all. He said all of us get our answers to the big questions sort of by intuition. He called it our 'dumb sense of what life honestly and deeply means' -- and he didn't mean 'dumb' as a put-down, either. Whether we're professional philosophers or just ordinary schlubs like Freddy and me, we mostly rely on our gut for our sense of what it's all about. James said we all have our own way of 'just sensing and feeling the total push and pressure of the cosmos.'"
eri_123's review against another edition
Examining a wide range of philosophical & theological perspectives on life and death very simply and occasionally humorously. A really good read.
zivan's review against another edition
3.0
While not as funny as the authors seem to think it is, this book is a good way to read about some of the fundamental philosophical questions without collapsing under the weight.
As a Science Fiction fan, I was especially interested in the last chapter that dealt with immortality, a subject many SF books deal with.
The Jokes, like Jokes are a bit stale, but they are tied to a deeper meaning and that gives them a bit of extra umpff.
If you know people that love telling jokes, and I know a couple, this book gave me a few good jokes that they really enjoyed.
As a Science Fiction fan, I was especially interested in the last chapter that dealt with immortality, a subject many SF books deal with.
The Jokes, like Jokes are a bit stale, but they are tied to a deeper meaning and that gives them a bit of extra umpff.
If you know people that love telling jokes, and I know a couple, this book gave me a few good jokes that they really enjoyed.