Rating: 
Summary: I 'Drink' Therefore I Am
Review: One of the many gifts Monty Python has contributed to our culture is "The Philosopher's Song" which attributes heroic feats of intoxication to the great minds of history. Somewhere between that song and Bertrand Russel's "History of Western Philosophy" lies Sophie's World. Gaarder's book is not a sophisticed treatment of the history of philosophy. Nor does it pretend to be. First and foremost, this novel is a simple tool that should encourage young minds to ask questions about the world they live in, perhaps engage in a light scirmish with some tough questions. Sophisticed readers may be too sidetracked by the (sometimes laughably) two-dimensional characters and the silly plot to really enjoy this book. Don't be fooled by the marketing strategy that would compare "Sophie's World" to "The Name of The Rose". Neither the writing style nor the depth of thought offered by Gaarder merits such lofty praise. The only thing these two writers have in common is that they happen to be from the same continent. Though that's often enough for some reviewers to lump them into one catagory. If you're a young person or if you have never formally studied philosophy, Sophie's World is a painless and often enjoyable introduction to the topic. Plus, if you've ever wondered who the heck Monty Python was talking about, here's a book you can understand even after a couple of pints.
Rating:
Summary: Creatively imagined
Review: It's ironic that so many of the American reviewers think so little of this book. Though the Kirkus Reviews anticipated this by calling American readers "too savvy" to enjoy this, I think they are bit off the mark. Americans may be too shallow or contemptuous of the esoteric. This is a novel for more refined tastes and interests; it is not for the sensationally superficial reader needing airplane reads, blatant sex, violence, or gore. It is more like a European film. Though genuinely unique in its approach, it can get a bit pedantic. However, if you are a thinker, or a blossoming thinker of any depth, there is a remarkably childlike effect at work here.
Rating: 
Summary: The most enjoyable philosophy course on record!
Review: It all starts off innocently enough when Sophie receives a letter in her mailbox bearing the words 'Who are you?' The rest of the book is thrown up in mystery, humor, and of course, philosophy. I'm an 11 year old kid who finished this book and thought it very exciting. The ending, especially, is very unexpected. I'd tell you about it, but that would spoil the whole book! To say this is a good book is an understatement. And to call saying that it is a good book an understatement is even more of an understatement. This book has changed the way I think about the world, and the people that live deep within the fur of the rabbit that is slowly being pulled out of the universe's top hat. I think Jostein Gaarder has come up with a masterpiece that should be given to all your friends and relatives as Christmas presents, so that they too, can share the power and shroud of darkness that is Sophie's World.
Rating:
Summary: What a delight!
Review: Many, many thanks to the staff at amazon.com for finding this book for me. Someone borrowed my precious copy and didn't return it. I could not, for the life of me, remember the title, and since the author is not a household name here in America, I was at a loss to replace it. This book is a blend of children's stories, philosophy, and history all wrapped up in the most interesting characters! I did the same thing as other reviewers here...I read slowly and savored each moment!
Rating:
Summary: A sieve which separates enlightenment from information!
Review: As we wallow within the mire of information, ensconced by our ignorance -- of fact and fiction, "Sophie's World," like a star upon the blackened skies, twinkles celestially, reflecting truth -- factually.
Rating:
Summary: Read it for the Philosophy, Not the Story
Review: This book is an excellent introduction to philosophy for those with little experience in the subject. I read it last summer when I was 14 and the introduction it provided has proved a great help in my philosophy course this year. Having the background to the subject really helped. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants an introduction to the basics of philosophy, especially younger people. Unfortunately, in order to get to the good parts you have to slog through the pathetic story. Gaarder has a good idea in putting the philosophy into a discussion form but he invests too much time in the plot of the story instead of on the philosophy. For most of the book the plot is mere fluff. I also found the character of Sophie somewhat annoying and thought that she resembled a seven year old more than a fourteen year old. I give this book a ten based solely on the philosophy sections. You should read this book for the good introduction to philosophy it provides. If you want a good work of fiction, look elsewhere.
Rating:
Summary: Simple philosophy course & mystery all in one!
Review: Sophie's World was wonderful as a first year philosophy course because it made everything so simple! I love the part about Legos (comparing the complicated ideas to simple childhood toys really helped me to understand every nuance better)! The mystery was, well, not so good, but it was enough to keep you reading when the philosophy got a little thick (hey, I'm still in highschool, so parts were actually a little thick for me). The characters were not really believable (no 15 year old is that naive!), but using a young girl was a good way to teach philosophy to a young audience (as I assume this book was intended). All in all, it was a good book. I encourage any first year philospophy students to take the time to read it. It will make everything a LOT simpler!
Rating:
Summary: An excellent read
Review: I was taught about Socrates and Plato in HighSchool and yet I didn't know anything about them when i gratuated. After reading this book however i found myself knowing so much more than a whole year of Hightschool could ever teach me and now I want to learn even more about Philosophy. It's a great way to start a further Philisophical education.
Rating:
Summary: One-of-a-kind po-mo hybrid, excellent conceit, good read.
Review: _Sophie's World_, by Jostein Gaarder, has been sitting on my "read now" shelf for a year or so, after several people recommended it. I just finished it, and found it entertaining and impressive. A 14-year-old girl, who becomes a pair of girls in linked universes, tries to solve a mystery that's presented to her largely in terms of a history of Western philosophy (with a little Buddhism thrown in).
You could call it a YA for really smart kids. If I'd read it when I was 14, it would have changed me forever. I think it may have changed me, even 40 years later -- even though I've been exposed to most of the ideas over those years. It's pure sense-of-wonder to have them all presented in a clear linked chronology of a few hundred fascinating pages.
If I had a son or daughter headed for college, I would bribe him or her to read this book first.
It's not a spoiler to point out that the history of philosophy presented here stops short of post-modernism, which is appropriate and ironic, because the book itself turns out to be an amusing pomo artifact. (Yeah, deconstruct that last word ... )
Rating:
Summary: extrodinary
Review: Some of my classmates had already read the Chinese version of Sophie's World, but I wasn't interested until a student from Stanford recommended the book to me. The most bizarre part is near the end, where all the mysterious things that happened previously made sense. Anyway, if you want to find out about the history of philosophy, you can easily understand it in this book!
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