Befuddled
For thinkers young and old, this philosophy book will help you discover your own powers of thought and experience for yourself the freaky thrills of befuddlement.
For thinkers young and old, this philosophy book will help you discover your own powers of thought and experience for yourself the freaky thrills of befuddlement.
For thinkers young and old, this philosophy book will help you discover your own powers of thought and experience for yourself the freaky thrills of befuddlement.
History & surveys (general), Individual philosophers, Philosophy
A book for thinkers young and old, Befuddled is a journey back in time to explore the lives, legends and ideas of ancient philosophers. Theories on the origin of the universe, the nature of the mind, and much more are presented alongside bizarre stories of mad emperors and talking skulls. Featuring an array of iconic figures, including Socrates, Pythagoras and the Buddha, Befuddled superbly illustrates how lives devoted to confusion and wonder not only give rise to fascinating ideas about reality, they also brim with wild moments and remarkable tales. Author David Birch invites you to add your own life to the collection. With questions and activities designed to start you on your own extraordinary explorations, Befuddled will help you discover your own powers of thought while you experience for yourself the freaky thrills of befuddlement.
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Philosophy teacher Birch (Pandora’s Book) delivers an entertaining illustrated survey of major ancient philosophers. From Heraclitus and Pythagoras to Buddha and Zhuangzi, Birch weaves philosophical concepts with anecdotes that bring his subjects’ intellectual journeys to life. Buddha, he writes, grew up wealthy and then pursued a life of one-grain-of-rice-a-day asceticism, only to discover neither produced meaning—it took meditating under a fig tree to grasp the “impermanence of the world.” Socrates, meanwhile, on a quest to understand wisdom, questioned politicians and wise men so thoroughly that they eventually called for his death, though not before he realized true wisdom is knowing one’s cluelessness. Birch excels in summarizing complex ideas (his breakdown of Zeno’s Paradox, which holds that a moving object never reaches its destination, is particularly impressive), though the foregrounding of colorful anecdotes sometimes dampens the philosophical substance. But for readers looking for a primer on heady philosophical concepts, this will do the trick. ~ Publishers Weekly
David Birch has produced a series of amusing and informative sketches of some great philosophers and thinkers. It is a stimulating and very enjoyable romp. ~ Stephen Law, philosopher and author
Rich and beautiful, these stories educate and enchant in equal measure. This is a book that people of all ages would prosper from. ~ Andy West, author of The Life Inside: A Memoir of Prison, Philosophy and Family