Philosophy Rocks!

Rating:
Summary: Not all it's cracked up to be?
Review: I purchased this book largely on the strength of its excellent recommendations here and was disappointed. Perhaps this is because my expectations exceeded, although I feel confident saying the writing could have been much better written, especially for length. Having just merely one philosophy course to my credit, I'm no expert, but I do recognize in Law's prose the style of the philosopher, one that unfortunately can seem imprecise or repetitive to the rest of us. However, as an editor I had the continual impulse to reach for my correction pen to trim the tiring redundancies that detract from reaching the interesting concepts addressed.

I think I'd like to find a volume aimed at children discussing more contemporary social issues the book lacks connection to (aside from the chapter on vegetarianism that is right on the money) perhaps framed in the philosophies of Locke, Mill, Kant, etc. -- concrete starting points for a child naturally interested in the age-old child's question of what's "fairn" and developinga take on fairness in their own words. Parenthetically, I was amused that the illustrations were done by another person, presumably an artist. They are styled like napkin doodles, which is fine, but would have seemed more personal, appropriate, and sincere from the author himself.

I hope to provide a dissenting voice to give the prospective buyer an alternative view, one I wish I'd heard earlier.

Rating:
Summary: Beginner's best guide
Review: I'd say it's one of the best books out there for beginners. It takes controversial topics that are abtruse to neophytes and explains it in a simple, unbiased manner - always allowing two sides to argue the subject to the best of their abilities, neither lacking. I felt the chapter about God really covered the logic and ideas behind both sides; atheists and theists. In fact, for anyone I have met that shows interest in philosophy I recommend this book and The Story of Philosophy by Bryan Magee. This is one of the best books I know for beginners, though Bryan Magee's book is more for the intermediate, seeing as how it takes a short look at the studies, teachings and history of key philosophers throughout history, such as Plato, Socrates, Machavelli, Newton, etc. in a chronological order.

My favorite chapter is the vegetarian chapter. Seeing as how I'm an ethical vegetarian, I feel it points out the flaw(s) in eating meat very well.

Rating:
Summary: Great Book!
Review: Philosophy Rocks is the book that got me intrested in philosophy. I like the things Stephen Law talks about and brings up. The only problem is he never gives a personal opinion on the subject.

Rating:
Summary: A Must For Young Minds
Review: Stephen Law's engaging book 'Philosophy Rocks' offers an excellent introduction to the world of philosophy. Although it is aimed at children, with great illustrations, the tone is never patronising, and the issues discussed are fundamental for child and adult alike.
Children constantly question, as parents and teachers are all too aware, but often their questions are more profound than mundane; sometimes practically unanswerable. The great strength of this book is that it not only offers conclusions, without being presciptive, but demonstrates how one question can lead to a more crucial one.
Dr. Law seems particularly adept at marrying the child's modern landscape: robots, aliens, computers, et al, with the that which remains eternal.
Feeding the enquiring mind is part of real nurturing, and therefore I reccomend this book to parents and teachers alike.

Rating:
Summary: A first rate book
Review: This book explains some to the major philosophical concepts in a way that anyone can understand, without watering down the ideas in any way. That's quite and achievement in itself, but the book is also extremely entertaining, which makes it very readable to both children and adults.

Rating:
Summary: Great intro for kids 9 and older...
Review: This is a top-notch philosophy intro book for kids. My 9 year old just loves it. The book introduces children to ethics (via animal rights), philosophy of mind, epistemology, metaphysics ("what is real?"), and other topics covered in academic philosophy. The book uses humor (and humorous sketches) on every page, and lays out the arguments pro and con in a fair way. Highly recommended!

Rating:
Summary: entertaining and educational
Review: This really is a remarkable book. There's absolutely nothing else like it. I bought it for my fourteen year old son and ended up reading it myself. We both love it. I'm a philosophy graduate and am astonished at how easily Law gets the big ideas across. Martians and monsters, wacky thought experiments, lots of different characters. If you want your kids to learn how to think for themselves, this is the book.