took me a while to get through this book and kept coming back to it. Chapters are short and found it easy to read in bursts. Some very complex subjects broken down into easy style & language, I will go back and read some of the chapters again, as the learning is all there. Thank you #NetGalley for the audiobook to review.

I listened to this as an audiobook and to begin with I wasn’t sure if it would work for me. Over a few chapters, I really got into it. I’m not a complete beginner in philosophy so some of it was familiar with maybe a slightly different emphasis but a lot of it was new and very clearly explained. I liked that the chapters were short. With some I stopped the recording and went off to research further and I found that very useful.

The narrator was excellent and I enjoyed hearing difficult words pronounced so I could learn them. Maybe the audiobook wouldn’t work for a beginner but the introduction to difficult topics is definitely worth exploring on paper. I listened while cleaning or cooking and learned quite a lot and it was also entertaining and well written with just enough depth to explain fully or to whet your appetite.

I was given a copy of this audiobook by NetGalley

Some interesting facts in this book but on audio I found it a little hard to follow.
The narration or perhaps just as an audio felt somewhat dry to me plus unlike a book where I can reread parts until they are understood and have sunk in to my brain, on audio it means having to hit the rewind key until you find the part you want to relisten to. Not hard but a little annoying if needing to do this often.

The concept of this book is quite simple - it presents fifty key concepts/theories of philosophy. The first section is devoted to ancient philosophers (think Plato, Socrates and so on), the next to more modern thinkers, and the final short section is on more general underpinning concepts like thought experiments.

The ideas are presented clearly, which is not easy in a small word count given how complex some of them are. But the nature of a lot of these ideas is to be mind bending, and I suspect even after a lengthy description your head would still hurt a bit. The style is a bit fussy and wordy for my taste - although I appreciate making these concepts accessible in a short format would be very hard to do.

My main finding from this is that I find most philosophical ideas utterly pointless and self-indulgent. Thinking for thinking's sake, when there are real problems and endeavours that we could be investing our energies in. That's not the fault of this book necessarily - and by reading it I've gained the understanding that I'm not interested in learning more about the topic. Others might find it the introduction that encourages them to explore philosophy in more detail.

The audiobook is well narrated and clearly spoken. If you find it easier to absorb information via reading than listening then clearly an audiobook isn't such a great option for complicated subject matter like this, conversely auditory learners will find it better.

If you don't know much about philosophy and are looking for a good general overview in an accessible format then this is a good place to find it.

I thoroughly enjoy this kind of book. Its like a sorbet between courses and I find philosophy a great way to tickle my brain. The audiobook was really well narrated and I think I will go back and listen to this one again!

I think this would be a great introduction to the world of philosophy and also a great reference book to have on the shelf. It is very accessible filled with thought provoking. ideas and concepts. Topics like truth, perception, experiences, language, time, life and death, words, the famous figures of philosophy are all included without being overwhelming.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC and I wish the author the very best in their future career.

This is a handy collection of philosophical ideas, presented in a simple and comprehensible manner. Charles Armstrong's narration makes the audio version even more accessible and easy to follow. Strongly recommended if you would like to get familiar with the basics of philosophy.

Thank you NetGalley and Arcturus Digital Audio for an Advance Review Copy.

This is THE best and most accessible book I’ve come across when it comes to discussing philosophy and disseminating the complex and often thought provoking concepts that philosophy encompasses.

From the subject of truth, perception, experiences, language, time, life and death, words, the famous figures of philosophy to philosophical zombies, it included and touched upon so much without being overwhelming.

It’s seriously a book you can learn so much from and a book I learnt a lot from! Philosophy has this ability to blow your mind and make you see and understand things in a whole new way and this book definitely did that.

It’s a great book for all. If you have an interest in this topic, great! But if you don’t, it’s perfect for you too. No doubt you’ll find chapters in this book completely amazing and will find a new love for philosophy. The chapters are kept easily short and informative and I couldn’t believe just how easy this was to read. (Or listen to if you have the audiobook).

The audiobook was greatly narrated and in such an easy way to understand. I think I’d also benefit from this on my shelf as I can imagine it’s a fab addition to a book stash and for you to constantly refer back to for a top up of knowledge. I definitely want to go back and listen again. Really enjoyed.