Rating: 
Summary: Very very very childish and BORING, only for girls....
Review: A very informative introduction to philosophy, but thats as far as it goes. Based around an extremely weak story which might appeal to a twelve year old girl. I wish I'd thrown it away as instinct told me.
Rating: 
Summary: Ignorant and incomplete regarding the 19/20th century
Review: I think this book is effective in teaching the basics and key players in western philosophy -- up to the 18th century. So many pages are dedicated to the earlier periods, and then in a few short chapters in the end, the author crams in what he considers the most important people/belief systems in more recent times. Near the end of the story, the characters are in a hurry to escape the Major, which conveniently allows him to just skim thru (and even omit) some of the most important philosophers of modern day.And what I found completely ridiculous is how he just casually dismisses all metaphysical philosophies of the 20th century in one swift paragraph. He claims tarot, clairvoyance, astrology, numerology, and basically everything that's becoming more widely accepted in the past decade as being "rubbish." This is so hypocritical, since in several of the chapters earlier, his characters explain how it's naive to just dismiss new ways of thought just because it seems inplausible at the time. Anyway, despite the weak last chapters, it's a very educational read...
Rating: 
Summary: A great teachin tool
Review: A great book! Our philosophy section in Gr. 13 uses this book as a textbook, and I can't say that I'm sorry! It is much better to teach philosophy with this "novel" than with a boring textbook.
Rating:
Summary: The best book I have ever read
Review: I think this is an absolutsly fabulous way to be introduced to the heavy subject of historical philosophy in a light and though-provoking manner. It's a mystery, a history, and a child like adventure all at the same time. A history lesson in thought and a page-turner at the same time! Gaarder makes the impossibe possible!
Rating:
Summary: I liked the book in general, but many parts could be changed
Review: I had to read this book for my 10th grade AP European class. Overall, I thought it was pretty (some parts were rather interesting), but things need fixing. Personally, I didn't like the fact that it became a book inside a book (fellow readers, you know what I mean). I wish Sophie and Alberto continued to exist in reality, like the rest of us. The Disney figures along with the fairy tale figures were pretty lame too. But as I said, an overall good book.
Rating: 
Summary: *grunt*
Review: it started off quite well, and it has a rather weird (ie: interesting) plot, but towards the end, it got loooooooong and tiresome and the ending was *ahem* .....
Rating:
Summary: This is a book not intended for readers.
Review: This is an incredibly boring history of philosophy that won't even stick with you ten minutes after you read it. The author puts this behind a weak novel. Maybe if it was half novel and half philsophy, the book would have more impact on readers, but ten to fifteen pages of the incredibly boring history of philosophers and then two to three pages of novel is unacceptable. The only people who I would recommend this to are masochists and sadistic English teachers (can we say Mrs. Quinn?) Basically, this is an uninteresting and stupid novel that was not meant to be read.
Rating:
Summary: : U MUST READ THIS ONE
Review: the background story is great, it makes reading the parts on philosophy much more pleasant. it does take a bit of an effort sometimes , but it's worth it. the second part of the book is easier to read because the background story gets clearer : dont give up :) (i m sure this book is more valuable in the long run than books like rivergod or lord of the rings)
Rating:
Summary: Plot twists make for an interesting story
Review: When I first discovered I must read this book for my 12th grade A.P. English class, I thought, "A history of philosophy? How good can ths book be?" But the book is kept alive by the plot, which twists and turns in many directions before revealing a surprise climax - that Sophie is merely an element of a story. The exploration of philosophy and the surprise ending definitely answer the question "Who are we?," which Sophie first pondered at the begining of the story. I'm not especially interested in philosophy or other subjects of the sort, but I found Sophie's World to be an interesting and intriguing book. Despite what I have read in many of the reviews, Sophie's World should be read for a dual purpose, as both a story and a history of philosophy.
Rating:
Summary: Best book I have ever read!
Review: I rate this book as one of the best I have ever read. On one hand it is a unique mystery story about a girl who discovers she is only a character in a book. On the other hand it explains the history of philosophy in such a simple and fascinating way that anyone can understand it. Even after the first chapter I realized I was reading one of the greatest books ever written. I would recommend that absolutely everybody buys this book. Once you read it you will never look at the world the same way again!
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