Rate this book

Heidegger And A Hippo Walk Through The Pearly Gates: Using Philosophy (and Jokes!) To Explain Life, Death, The Afterlife, And Everything In Between (2000)

by Thomas Cathcart(Favorite Author)

3.61 of 5 Votes: 5

languge

English

genre

review 1: I have friend who refuses to read books because in college, as an engineering student, he had to concentrate on every word. I feel the same way about philosophy books and have avoided them over the years. Then I discovered "Plato and a Platypus Walk Into Bar". This introduction to Philosophy helped me, at least, know what the different schools of philosophy were and the very basic concepts of philosophical thought. I also believe that most people do not want to think about death even though it is inevitable. As William Saroyan is reputed to have said, "Everybody has got to die, but I always believed an exception would be made in my case." The philosophers, though, have thought and written about it, in many cases, in such detail as to be impenetrable. It helps underst... moreanding to take a lighter approach liberally seasoned with corny jokes and New Yorker cartoons to illustrate what major philosophers like Kierkegaard, Heidegger, Descartes, William James, Nietzsche, Sartre, Tillich, and Wittgenstein have to say about, not only death, but also consciousness, afterlife, immortality, the self, the soul, and other related concepts. I like that the authors have included Woody Allen, Monty Python, Dave Barry, Stephen Colbert and other more contemporary "philosophers" to the pantheon of those who have contemplated these issues. I'm far enough along in my own life's journey to find the ideas in this book worth considering. It helps that I didn't have to spend months, maybe even years, digging the basics out of the original writings. No matter how old you are taking four or five hours to read this book will be time well spent.
review 2: These two guys take philosophical thoughts, works, etc... about life and death from the works of different historical philosophers like Descartes, William James, Friedrich Nietzsche, Socrates, Plato, and many more, and put it together in this accessible little book. Accessible to some extent, of course. But instead of reading a dry, philosophical work, here the thoughts, impressions and what not are interspersed with jokes and anecdotes.Of all the jokes, only a handful are good. Now, were the jokes provided by British humourists/comedians, THEN it would have been much better, I think, as the British have a certain sense of humour I quite like.But when reading this, the key is to look past the joking, as it's quite serious stuff repackaged in a more mainstream/accessible jacket.Not the best book about philosophy (not that I'm an expert, but I'm sure there's much better writing out there), but a nice read in-between nevertheless. A good introduction to the more serious works, I'd say. less

Download links for: Heidegger and a Hippo Walk Through the Pearly Gates: Using Philosophy (and Jokes!) to Explain Life, Death, the Afterlife, and Everything in Between

Advertising