Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar . . .: Understanding Philosophy Through Jokes

See Larger Image	List Price: $12.00 Our Price: $9.24 Your Save: $ 2.76 ( 23% ) Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics) Written By: Thomas Cathcart,Daniel Klein Average Customer Rating:
Binding: Paperback Dewey Decimal Number: 102.07 EAN: 9780143113874 ISBN: 0143113879 Label: Penguin (Non-Classics) Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics) Number Of Items: 1 Number Of Pages: 224 Publication Date: 2008-06-24 Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) Studio: Penguin (Non-Classics)
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Editorial Reviews: This New York Times bestseller is the hilarious philosophy course everyone wishes they’d had in school Outrageously funny, Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar . . . has been a breakout bestseller ever since authors—and born vaudevillians—Thomas Cathcart and Daniel Klein did their schtick on NPR’s Weekend Edition. Lively, original, and powerfully informative, Plato and a Platypus Walk Into a Bar . . . is a not-so-reverent crash course through the great philosophical thinkers and traditions, from Existentialism (What do Hegel and Bette Midler have in common?) to Logic (Sherlock Holmes never deduced anything). Philosophy 101 for those who like to take the heavy stuff lightly, this is a joy to read—and finally, it all makes sense!
Spotlight customer reviews: Customer Rating: Summary: low in humor Comment: One might think that a book mixing philosophy and humor would be a little more intelligent. Instead I found the humor weak and the philosophy juvenile. Customer Rating: Summary: Jokes usually not that funny, and provides no real understanding of philosophy Comment: I like the idea of a book like this, and the authors should be given credit for having made an attempt of presenting this material in an original way, and the typography and graphic design of the book are beautiful, but .... After having actually read this book, it seems very insubstantial. I'm genuinely surprised by the large number of rave reviews, the characterization of the jokes as "outrageously hilarious", and the claims that this book is full of profound insights and is something to be treasured. ... One the one hand, some of the jokes are funny. On the other hand, and more importantly, the book does not live up to its subtitle: "Understanding Philosophy through Jokes" because the points made by (or implied through) the jokes in this book are almost always only tangentially related to - or are misleading about - the philosophical concept(s) supposedly being illuminated. To actually get an understanding of the various philosophies/philosophical concepts referred to in this book, one would have to read something else. The best thing that can be said about this book, I think, is that at times it provides a mildly entertaining, interesting read and it might make someone of a particular mindset want to read more. Customer Rating: Summary: The BEST introduction to philosophy for those who know nothing about it... period! Comment: You want to learn some philosophy but know nothing? Right here, boys and girls! What other intro to philosophy gives you a basic, humourous, outline of: - Metaphysics - Logic - Epistemology - Ethics - Religion - Existentialism (Oh yeah!) - Language - Social and political - Realitivity Yeah, they are all in here. And so is: - Meta-philsophy (the philosophy of philosophy!) - A summa (!) of all you have learned through a stand up routine! - A hilarious final exam - Laugh out loud timeline of philosophy - A great glossary that is very humorous - An amazing list of the best philosophical books avalible. This is worth the price alone Now, the jokes are great sometime, good sometimes, and sometimes a little corney. So don't be fooled... this is not a joke book. It's straight up philosophy! [...]Bravo Thomas Cathcart and Daniel Klein! And thank you for this precious gift! Customer Rating: Summary: A Very Funny Book Comment: This is a very funny book. Cathcart and Klein manage to teach a little philosophy along with the humor. They seem to understand their subject and they make it fun for the reader. I enjoyed this book even more than their other, similar, book: Aristotle and an Aardvark Go to Washington I enjoyed this book and wholeheartedly recommend it to others. Customer Rating: Summary: wonderful gift book Comment: This is a wonderful book to enjoy and to give as a gift. It includes insights, wisdom, and great jokes! More Reviews