Rating: 
Summary: instructive
Review: Sophies world was very educating for me, especially the capitel about Freud and Darwin. I used this book for learning english, and therefore i read it four times (with every new turn, I learned more vocabularies and a better understanding of the plot and the philosophers) So I snatched two flies at the same time.
Rating: 
Summary: One Of The Best Books!
Review: Anyone who's tried to learn philosophy knows that it's boring, right? Well, here's an idea: Read Sophie's World! It's philosophy at its finest, and to top it off, there's a whole ton of fantasy! It's a bit of a long read, but trust me, it's worth it! This is also a great read for those who can't find anything to read after the Harry Potter books... Overall, just read it, and you'll be happy you did!
Rating: 
Summary: 'Sophie' tries to do two tasks, and does neither well . . .
Review: The problem with this book is that it tries to be 1) a novel, and 2) a history of philosophy. As a novel, it is one of the worst written pieces of prose i have ever encountered, contains flat, uninteresting characters, and no plot. As a histoy of philosophy, it gives brief, stereotyped introductions to complex, important thinkers. If you want a novel and a history of philosophy, but a novel AND a history of philosophy, not this book. If you are looking for an engaging (or even merely entertaining) read, this book is not where to find it, and I see no point in learning the barest facts about something as complex as philosophy, unless you are merely fishing for tid-bits to drop at parties. "A little learning is a dangerous thing / Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring / There shallow draughts intoxicate the brain / And drinking largely sobers us again." - Alexander Pope.
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Summary: This book will take you on a philosophical journey!
Review: Sophie's World is about a 15-year-old girl (named Sophie of course) who comes home and finds a strange letter in her mail box. She soon finds out that it is about a private philosophy course that an anonymous teacher offers her. After starting the course, she soon finds out that the world that she lives in isn't as it seems... Throughout the novel, Sophie and her teacher talk about some pretty heavy subjects. But this book is great for anyone wanting to learn a little bit about philosophy. I mean, we are all born with the faculty of wonder, so we all wonder about the world and the different facts of life that are discussed in this book. Sophie's World is a very different novel! And it is definitely not for someone looking for an easy read. I read it alone and then pondered about the different philosopher's theories. Then I reread some of it just to get the whole meaning to it. I'll have to admit that when I first started reading it I was skeptical and a few sections of the book were hard to get through. But in the end, I learned a lot!
Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable and decent intro to the history of philosophy
Review: Marx accused philosophers of describing the world and failing to change it. One of the extremely innovatinve aspects of this book is the author's ability to demonstrate how the world would be if philosophers did indeed change it. Bizarre though Berkeley, Hegel and Leibniz may seem to us, Gaarder does a remarkable job showing us how the world would looks like through the spectacles of these thinkers. Sophie's World is arguably unparalleled in its ability to "apply" the philosophical discourse to the way "the world is." Furthermore, there is no doubt that Gaarder pays very careful and too often neglected attention to the context in which the philosophers developed their theories. The writing is clear enough that a lay reader will have no difficulty understanding what is going on, and the plot is sufficiently intriguing. There is one area, however, where this book is a disappointment. The passages describing the philosophers' lines of thought and such what, largely standard stuff, read like entries copied out of an encyclopedia. Perhaps their nature compels them to be long and rather dry, but they can be shortened sufficiently, or divided up more so that theory may be presented by example in the plot, and so on. There is also a very awkward sense of discontinuity between theory and practice that this fosters. Finally, I disagree with his decision to restrict discussion about recent philosophy to Freud and Sartre. While understandable, the enormous influence in philosophy proper of characters like the Pragmatists, Frege or Heidegger gets little to no mention while a great deal is spent on pre-Hegelian romantics and other groups I consider not horribly important. Gaarder does demonstrate an interesting subthesis showing how the sciences slowly removed themselves from "philosophy" (from Ptolemy to Darwin)and perhaps Freud, placed in this context, is understandable. However, as this is a minor point, the work is nevertheless altogether enjoyable and uncontroversial when it comes to describing most of the philosophers.
Rating: 
Summary: This book is awful
Review: I don't think I have ever been more bored in my life with a book. I'm talking mind-numbing. I could physically feel my brain cells atrophy with every turn of the page. It was so bad that I forced myself to read it to the end just to see how much mental discomfort a person can endure. I think the author came up with the plot while waiting for a traffic light to turn. It's amateurish. Was that garden party supposed to be a climax? It's like he ran out of ideas so he inserted some sort of Kafka-esque interlude. It served no purpose. By page 150 I had figured that this book had some sort of deeper hidden meaning. I had Alberto marked as Mephistopheles and the major was God, and Sophie was some sort of Eve figure being tempted by the fruit from the tree of knowledge; and there was some sort of faith vs. reason dichtomoy being played out. Well, I was wrong. I know for a fact my imaginary plot was better than the one the author provided. If you want to enjoy this book, bring your own plot and read it into the one that's given. What's the story with Hilde anyway? Does anybody in their right mind think that she would actually spend her days and nights reading this garbage. It took me 2 weeks to drudge through this. There's no way somebody spent 12-14 hours straight reading this. And then when she was done she re-read it twice more. Is she insane? This author seriously overestimates his talents. What was with all that UN cheerleading? Is that what they teach people in Norway? The UN is nothing but cultural imperialisism. If they truly cared for peoples' well-being they would send out the troops to all the bookstores to seize this book and build the world's biggest bonfire.
Rating:
Summary: Sophie's World? My World.
Review: The concept of existing and existing in someone's mind is...a matrix twist. It is a concept I have contemplated often. I'm not going to spoil the book by telling you what happens, you have to draw your own conclusions and ask your questions. It's a great book, I'm still reeling from reading it after a year. I REMEMBER the story, not just a little, I remember the story. Not many books can do that. It totally blew me away, especially the end. You will completely devour this book. Gaarder incorporates a great story with a short history of philosophy that helps you understand the story and visa a versa. You will learn a lot, and ask your own questions about everything. This book is a marvel, an instant classic. Open your mind to a different relm of possibilities, themes, and concepts. You wont regret it. I promise. READ SOPHIE'S WORLD. It's one book you don't want to miss out on!!!!!
Rating:
Summary: Not so good
Review: I wish Sophie's Choice had lived up to the adventure that my friend had told me would be there. The summary of philosophy was OK. The plot was skimpy. If you want to read a well plotted novel of Philosophy, I suggest Zen and the Art of Motercycle Maintenance.
Rating:
Summary: Not too shabby
Review: Being a college freshman, and not yet enrolled in a introductory philosophy class, I find Sophie's World to be a nice overview of the main points of major philosophers in history. I was disappointed that none of the American or Eastern philosophers were included in the novel. The story was interesting enough to help me to continue reading when some of the theories got difficult to understand. I do not think that the majority of American 15 year olds will be able to comprehend all of the theories (there were students in my class aged 18-22 who did not fully understand all aspects of the novel), but they will obviously be able to understand the story line. I enjoyed reading it, even though it was for a class, and recommend it to others at least 17 years old.
Rating:
Summary: A Good Idea for the Right Person
Review: Sophie's World has an interesting concept, but it is certainly not for everyone. I have some criticism of the book, but also some praise. First the criticism. This is really a philosophy text pretending to be a novel. (Which, I believe is ultimately a good thing). The characters are not that believable and are really just devices Gaarder uses to get his point across. The dialog is not believable either. Another potential problem for certain readers is that the philosophy lessons contained in this book are, in the novel, aimed at a 15 year old girl. If you have studied philosophy at some point in your life, this will probably be far too simplistic for you. I still would recommend this book and here's why. Sophie's World will be an excellent read for anyone with a curiosity about philosophy, but who finds the whole thing a bit intimidating. I think it's a wonderful introduction to philosophy because it is aimed at that 15 year old character. Even if you have studied philosophy, this book will be thought provoking, if only because it makes you think about what you once studied. I think this would be a wonderful book for parents of teenage children to read with their children. It would certainly make for some excellent discussions. The true strength of this book is the material it covers. Philosophy is a fascinating subject and Sophie's World is the perfect choice for anyone who would like to gently ease themselves into that subject.
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