Big ideas for curious minds : an introduction to philosophy.
Record details
- ISBN: 1999747143 : HRD
- ISBN: 9781999747145 : HRD
- ISBN: 9781999747145
- ISBN: 1999747143
- Physical Description: 147 pages : colour illustrations ; 26 cm
- Publisher: London : The School of Life Press, 2018.
Content descriptions
General Note: | Includes index. |
Formatted Contents Note: | Know Yourself with Socrates -- Learn to Say What's on Your Mind / Ludwig Wittgenstein -- It's Hard to Know What We Really Want / Simone de Beauvoir -- When Someone Is Angry, Maybe It's Not You Who Is Responsible / Ibn Sina -- People Are Unhappy, Not Mean / Zera Yacob -- Don't Expect Too Much with Seneca -- Maybe You Are Just Tired / Matsuo Basho -- What Is Normal Isn't Normal / Albert Camus -- No One Knows... / Rene Descartes -- Politeness Matters with Confucius -- Why We Procrastinate with Hypatia of Alexandria -- Why It's Hard to Know What You Want to Do with Your Life with Jean-Jacques Rousseau -- Good Things Are (Unexpectedly) Hard / Friedrich Nietzsche -- Weakness of Strength Theory / Ralph Waldo Emerson -- Kintsugi with Buddha -- The Need to Teach Rather than Nag / Immanuel Kant -- The Mind-Body Problem / Jean-Paul Sartre -- Why You Feel Lonely with Michel de Montaigne -- The Meaning of Life with Aristotle Why We Hate Cheap Things / Mary Wollstonecraft -- The News Doesn't Always Tell The Whole Story / Jacques Derrida -- Art Is Advertising for What We Really Need / Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel -- Why Do Some People Get Paid More than Others? / Adam Smith -- What's Fair? / John Rawls -- Shyness: How to Overcome It with Maimonides -- Why Grown-up Life Is Hard with... Philosophy. |
Summary, etc.: | Children are, in many ways, born philosophers. Without prompting, they ask some of the largest questions about time, mortality, happiness and the meaning of it all. Yet too often this inborn curiosity is not developed and, with age, the questions fall away. This is a book designed to harness children's spontaneous philosophical instinct and to develop it through introductions to some of the most vibrant and essential philosophical ideas of history. The book takes us to meet leading figures of philosophy from around the world and from all eras - and shows us how their ideas continue to matter. The book functions as an ideal introduction to philosophy, as well as a charming way to open up conversations between adults and children about the biggest questions we all face. |
Target Audience Note: | Ages 9-13. |
Search for related items by subject
Subject: | Philosophy > Juvenile literature. Philosophers > Juvenile literature. |
Available copies
- 9 of 9 copies available at Bibliomation. (Show)
- 1 of 1 copy available at Union Free Public Library.
Holds
- 0 current holds with 9 total copies.
Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Union Free Public Library | J 100 Big (Text) | 34913148442993 | Juvenile Nonfiction | Available | - |
School Library Journal Review
Big Ideas for Curious Minds : An Introduction to Philosophy
School Library Journal
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Gr 4--9--This accessible compendium features simple language and relatable examples. Twenty-six philosophers' key ideas are developed in three to four pages followed by a biographical sketch. Many are Western men like Socrates. Almost as many Western women chime in including Mary Wollstonecraft. Several essays are from the work of non-Western philosophers like Zera Yacob from Ethiopia and Ibn Sina from Iran. Examples motivate the concept being explained. The book's styling is pleasing, with tasteful, colored cartooning for the biographical profiles. Some essays end with a graphic organizer for making a list of "things I would like to know more about." There is a clear table of contents. The index has photos or sketches of each philosopher with their birth and death dates. The authors are British, but there are only a few minor differences with standard American English which most students would hardly notice. A librarian book-talking one of the questions (strategically choosing passages) would certainly hook some of the many tweens trying to figure out their social standing and larger questions of identity. Teachers could use these essays as writing prompts. VERDICT A formidable introduction for a middle schooler interested in philosophy and a reference book that offers more than Wikipedia. Strongly recommended for middle school libraries looking for high quality nonfiction reference books.--Amy Thurow, Westside Elementary School, Sun Prairie, WI
Publishers Weekly Review
Big Ideas for Curious Minds : An Introduction to Philosophy
Publishers Weekly
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
What is philosophy, and why does it matter? The first book for children from the School of Life seeks to connect young readers to influential thinkers via self-help tropes, arguing that "philosophy helps us to live wise lives." The volume distills "big ideas" from 25 heavy-hitting philosophers, mostly Western, into simple precepts, such as "Know Yourself" (Socrates), "Don't Expect Too Much" (Seneca), and "Why We Procrastinate" (Hypatia of Alexandria). Each idea sits in a dedicated chapter, presented in a conversational style ("You might not know the word procrastinate, or maybe you've heard it before but are not sure exactly what it means. It's quite an unusual word") and explained with accessible scenarios ("Imagine you have something you need to do for school.... On Saturday you think, 'I'll do it Sunday'â"). A colorful spread featuring a short biography of the philosopher referenced ("an idea from Simone de Beauvoir") follows the sections, illustrated with Doherty's wide-eyed, Quentin Blake--esque figures, and prompts suggest ways for readers to work through their concerns. A useful, if narrow, introduction to emotional intelligence via philosophical thought. Ages 9--12. (Sept.)