Rating: 
Summary: An Good Introduction to the History of Philosophical Thought
Review: A seems a lot of people thought this great and that a lot of people thought this was bad. Personally I think this is somewhere in between.When reviewing this book I think it is important to keep in mind the aims and intentions of the author. As far as I can see he wanted only to provide a gentle and accessable introduction to philosophical thought and the history of it, not push forward intellectual frontiers. In my opinion he achieved his goal and did it well. Ok so the story isn't really up to much but it's little more than a vehicle for the philosophy in the book and a a bit of light relief. There seems to be a lot of snobbery and elitism surrounding such 'high brow' subjects, but I don't understand where this comes from. Not everyone is interested in plowing their way through 'The Critique of Pure Reason' by Kant, and that doesn't make them stupid, and in the same way, if you are interested in doing that, it doesn't make you a nerd. If you're interested in reading a good novel with a intriguing story avoid this book because it will seem too much like hard work. Likewise, if you're familiar with the basics of philosophy and looking for a bit of a challange avoid this book, because it will seem a bit 'lightweight'. But if you've never thought that much about the deeper side of life but would like to then you could do a lot worse than get hold of a copy of this. You could find that this will be the start of you looking at the world in a whole new light.....and that can't be a bad thing, can it?
Rating:
Summary: Not bad, not great . . .
Review: Sophie's World is a survey of philosophy written as a novel to make the subject more accessible. Overall I did like the book but I feel that I should have learned a little more philosophy from a book 500 pages long. I would recommend this book for newcomers to philosophy. It won't be a beginners last introduction to philosophy but I believe it will inspire its readers to continue exploring the subject. Those already acquainted with philosophy may want to skip this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Who am I?
Review: I knew about this book through an e-mail, and suddenly felt the urgency to read it. When I found it, I was very happy, even when I thought it was a little long. It was very interesting to read about the different philosophical movements developed through the time. I have to admit it, there were moments of despair, because beyond reading a book, I fel tlike sutdying for a Philosophy test. The book starts with a big question, a question we all would have to answer with great sincerity at some moment in our lives: Who am I? But suddenly we find ourselves very involved with philosophy matters, and then we forget about the question. I think this is a book to read not once, but twice, and maybe more times, but we have to do it without hurry. It will be probably during the second reading we could take more advantage of the book, because we already will know which the end is, what it is about, and then we will stop trying to imagine what the end would be. For me, it was very fascinating to find somewhere in the book, a very special relation father-daughter, which I think it is the most important point in this story, embellished with a lot of philosophy information. Now that I prepare for my second reading, I am thinking again: Who am I?
Rating:
Summary: Wow
Review: I picked up "Sophie's World" on a whim, where it was displayed on a table near the cash register. I don't know have much knowledge about philosophy, and although I realize this book barely scratches the surface of some very deep thoughts, I still feel that Jostein Gaarder did a stupendous job in making philosophy feel accessible to me. It made me curious to know more, and if that's not the sign of a great book, then I guess I don't know what one is. I skimmed through many of the reviews just now, even though I've already read the book, and I was able to see a general pattern: those that were inquisitive, open to new learning and a new way of considering our existence were wild about this book. Conversely, the ones that gave it low marks and unmercifully criticized the philosophical part smacked of former philosophy major flunkies with severe elitist, I'm-such-an-expert-in-the-field-sniff-sniff attitudes. What most of the low-scorers missed was that "Sophie's World" was never intended to be a comprehensive study in Western Philosophy, merely an introduction to waken sleeping minds. And to say things like Gaarder got Kant's ideas all wrong is, to say the very least, highly subjective (and open to philosophical discussion). And for crying out loud, these nasty critics should learn to relax a little and have a good time with a very "novel" novel. Gads, what snobbery. Read the book and enjoy it for the ride it gives. It's much better than the average schlop that's flooding the market.
Rating:
Summary: Okay
Review: Sophie's World is a good book for people who are new to philosophy. But the characters are really unrealistic (especially Sophie- who's heard of a teen girl who learns philosophy within hours, and analyzes it constantly? I mean, she must be either really bored with her life to be doing this, or just really hopeless) The plot is actually cool, if it was written in a different format. The ending does not relate to anything philosophical at all, the characters are undeveloped, everything seems fake, but nevertheless, it was a decent book (yeah, i admit i didn't really know anything about philosophy beofre this)
Rating:
Summary: Philosophy put in an interesting way...
Review: Sophie's World is an interesting lecture with a parallel story that eventually joins the lecture to become one great philosophical mystery. It is about a girl who receives letters from a mysterious man but all the letters are about philosophy. She soon meets the man and Sophie realizes what is going on. The book ends in a grand finale that relates to philosophy, but is still a mystery. The ending is not clear until you understand the philosophy part. Unlike most historical books, this one captures the reader's interest rather then make them feel as if they are being tortured. I recommend it to anybody and everybody. Enjoy! Cheers! : )
Rating: 
Summary: Good idea, poorly executed
Review: Explores philosophy and philosophical concepts at a rudimentary level. This book is too simple for adults and too long and dry from most teenagers. Still, I like the format. It was a great idea to use a fictional setting to convey lessons. If a child is complex enough to truly absorb and use the philosophical lessons in this book, she will find the characters uninteresting and two-dimensional and the plot predictable.
Rating:
Summary: YEAH!
Review: Anybody who does not like this book is exeedingly... narrow minded. Sophie's World makes you really think about everything. A great book if you like to think about things. READ IT!!
Rating:
Summary: Can't decide whether or not I'll finish it...
Review: This might be good for someone who has had no exposure at all to philosophy, in which case the ideas would seem new and exciting. Otherwise, Alberto's lectures are too basic. I'm about two/thirds through it, and I'm getting fed up with Sophie's constant sarcastic interjections during her lessons. Plus, Sophie not only immediately grasps completely new concepts, but she astutely compares one philosopher's reasoning to another's, while accurately honing in on weaknesses in their arguments -- I can't imagine a 15-year old like this. I'll probably just skim the rest of it -- I want to find out how everything goes with my favorite character, Hermes.
Rating: 
Summary: This Book is Mind-Numbingly Stupid.
Review: The plot is awful, the "twist" absolutely cliched, and, most importantly, the "history of philosophy" is abismal. Do NOT think you know ANYTHING about philosophy after reading this book. If you want to know about philosophy -- and not just be able to drop names -- GO READ PHILOSOPHY! You can do it. Its not dry, its not boring, and it can be done. If you don't want to actually learn about philosophy, don't pretend you do. And if you want to read a good novel, pick one that has a real plot, real characters, and real ideas. I suggest Italo Calvino -- he actually knows how to do magical realism. (And he probably understands Kant better too.) DO NOT give this book to anyone. Do not reccomend it. Do not read it. Its cliched, banal, and morally reprehensible.
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