Rating: 
Summary: Breathes new life into philosophy -- and into my life!
Review: I was blessed to go to a reading-signing conducted by Chris Phillips, who also facilitated a live Socrates Cafe. I was astounded by how his dialogues in his books don't just mirror his live dialogues, but tie in all these wonderful threads with great thinkers across the disciplines from the past and present, while Phillips himself weighs in critically and creatively -- Socratically, I guess he'd say -- on so many timeless topics. He shows what a sham it is to create all these artificial divides between the disciplines, he shows how art and poetry and the hardest of the hard sciences are all intertwined, and how we can reveal hidden likeness between so many things by joining him in his exhilarating pursuit to question, question, and question some more in a decidedly Socratic way. My favorite vignette of all from his book is "What's Love Got to Do With It," where he recounts movingly the story of how he met his wife at a Socrates Cafe; in fact, she was the only one who came to that particular session -- they discussed the question, "What is love?" -- and they ended up marrying one another! It's so beautiful, and all the sections of the book are deeply moving, penetrating and insightful. Best of all, Phillips never talks down to his readers. Rather, he prods us to think through our own unique answers to life's great questions. What a gift he has given to us. Already, thanks to his book, I'm asking myself, and answering more fruitfully, "Who am I?" and "WHo can I become?"
Rating:
Summary: finally, a book that is truly philosophical
Review: In an era when philosophy has been reduced to heartless logical wordgames or unreadable "deconstructionist" ramblings that say little and mean less and use a soul-numbing jargon, this readable, thought-provoking takes a quantum leap in showing what philosophical inquiry can be. The author will surely draw flack from all those pinheads who think philosophy has to be irrelevant, highfalutin linguistic wordgames that engage in the endless pursuit of the meaningless, and more power to him. Just read his vignette "Believe You Me," where he manages to weave a brilliant juxtaposition of the philosophical thinking of William James vs. William Kingdon Clifford into a dialogue with disadvantaged children, and you'll never again be satisfied with the moronic philosophy practiced by academics and their like.
Rating: 
Summary: I don't know
Review: In my opinion this book only has an attractive title. I so wanted to hear the opinions of the Socrates Cafe people but the freelance journalist writer was more focused to reveal what was revealed a thousand or more times by now in other books. At least he's got his book published and that must be some sort of achievement.
Rating: 
Summary: John Dewey's Cafe?
Review: It's hard not to admire the enthusiasm of Christopher Phillips in his efforts to revive interest in philosophy among a wide variety of contemporary persons. Questions arise, however, as to just how socratic his modus operandi is. He declares he's no self-help guru, for instance. Yet is his readiness to descend to tears and therapy rather than ironic tough-mindedness, this is exactly what he ultimately most resembles. His repeated disinclination to answer questions put by an interlocutor and his preference instead for returning the question to its asker strikes me as even more guru-like and unsocratic. Finally, his eagerness to avoid extended one-on-one question and answer encounters in the presence of a group, preferring rather the role of the "facilitator" who gets everyone talking, reveals him more as the unwitting heir of the flattering John Dewey than of the "offensive" Socrates who claimed to know nothing, but was able to show smug others that they knew even less.
Rating:
Summary: A Revolution in Philosophy
Review: Mr. Phillips is a revolutionary mind in the field of philosopher. This book is not about "Philosophy for the Common man" instead, it deconstructs the condescending myth of the common man in favor of the realization that everyone is equaly uncommon.Some would like to think that Plato, or the other luminaries of philosophy are beyond the grasp of the "common" or "uneducated." This book is a glaring and necessary counterpoint. Philosophy, actualy, has less to do with being able to name dead authors, and more with being able to think spontaneously, creatively, and criticaly. Insofar as provoking a spark in the reader is the goal of philosophy, this book is a success. There are some with a vested interest in the contrary, though, to provocation. These are the ones who are already placed within the academic establishment of Philosophy. Today people go to school, become philosophy students, study philosophers, quote philosophers, adopt the opinions of their favorite philosophers, get philosophy degrees, and then begin teaching, creating new philosophy students. Although this is a clean and efficient self-sustaining system, it does nothing for philosophy itself, aside from produce more identical members of the establishment with their quotation heavy essays and cloned opinions. At what point does regurgitating another philosopher's opinion, and even verbiage cease being plagiarism and start being good scholarship? I would say never at all. Who does Aristotle quote? Who does Kant or Popper quote? Or Spinoza, or Pascal? Or Berkley? These people didn't pretend to defend their opinions with meaningless footnoting. They simply laid out their own logic and their own theories - and took responsibility for them. They have no one to blame if we find their thoughts lacking, and they also inherit the greatness worthy of their ideas. And better still, anyone can become this kind of philosopher. The true realization one can take away from this book is that philosophy is for everyone and that everyone is a philosopher. It is not exclusively the domain of ivory tower elietes to have logical and sound opinions on intangible questions. It is the birth right of every human beeing, everywhere around the world.
Rating:
Summary: attention all thinkers and seekers -- this book is for you
Review: Packed with brilliant philosophical meditations and soul-stirring wisdom, this book is a thinkers' and seekers' delight. "Socrates Cafe" is one of those rare finds that will still be talked about and explored centuries from now.
Rating: 
Summary: An Entertaining Read
Review: Socrates Cafe is an easy and entertaining read. Mr. Phillips fills the pages with a good overview of philosophy as we know it, intermixed with his experiences while establishing this "cafes" or discussion groups around the country. As an independent scholar, I wish there was more practical information on setting up and promoting a discussion group. This information is available on his website (...), but it would have been nice to have some information in the book. Nonetheless, it is an excellent overview of philosophy.
Rating:
Summary: An advertisement for itself...
Review: The book started off in a very interesting fashion. The dialogues he initiates are interesting. They also have some enlightening answers. Not to mention rational thinking, a very under-used part of the mind, is given an arena to exercise itself. However, I felt the second part dragged. Or as a family member described it, "he turned into his own commerical." The more I look back on it, the better that statement seems to describe later sections of the book. His writing is for the most part good. His aim is admirable. But in the process the book became bogged down and uninteresting. I also think the premise that truth can be arrived at through conversation is an untenable one. It can map out exactly what we are talking about and the complexities of the issue, but not much more than that. I don't think the book has anything lasting about it. It merely seems to reflect a trend to bring philosophy into the pragmatic, everyday world, such as Alain de Botton. I would recommend Botton's work as opposed to this, which has much greater insights into everyday life using traditional philosophy. If more people take this route, philosophy can be saved from word games and deconstruction, which even Derrida himself said "can not be a method and should not be one."
Rating:
Summary: Tantalizing philosophical thinking of the highest order.
Review: The only people who won't like this book are academics who have made their discipline irrelevant and sophists who have made their discipline a laughingstock. They'll feel threatened by the new and invigorating and exhilarating life Phillips breathes into philosophy. Phillips shows in a way that I have not seen before in a modern philosophy book that philosophy isn't merely about asking certain questions -- What is truth? What is being? -- in the way questions are asked. So it is that via his mesmerizing version of the Socratic method of philosophical inquiry, Phillips explores in a profound and yet sweeping way in "Socrates Cafe" such questions as "Why is what?" "How can an intelligent, sensitive person get stuck in a lousy job?", "What is home?" and "What is silence?" He has recaptured the tradition of unendlingly novel and illuminating philosophical exploration that sadly has gone by the wayside for the most part since Socrates' lifetime. This book is for everyone who wants to push their thinking, for everyone who wants to better answer such questions as "Who am I?" and "Who can I become?" Thank you Christopher Phillips for bringing philosophy back to the people and for having the courage of your convictions in presenting such a compelling alternative to the narrow, unimaginative thinking that passes for philosophy today in books by academics and sophists.
Rating:
Summary: Real People Doing Real Philosophy!
Review: This book is the fascinating story of a young man imbued with the love of philosophy, who wants to bring philosophical thinking into the lives of more people. So, in his words, as a Johnny Appleseed of Philosophy, he begins going to book stores, coffee shops, elementary schools, senior centers, even prisons, to hold philosophical jam sessions. With a little advance notice, he can usually draw at least a small crowd. Sometimes he's surprised at the numbers of people who show up. He introduces himself, and asks what questions the folks in attendance would like to discuss philosophically. Suggestions are made, and soon a free wheeling, yet Socratically disciplined conversation begins, typically among people who don't know each other, and who are perhaps from very different backgrounds, occupations, and worldviews. With Chris playing the role of Socrates, and teaching by example how we can all play that role - the role of a seeker after wisdom who is willing to question everything in search of the truth - he ignites philosophy in a place where it may never before have happened. He teaches and he learns. And he moves on to the next opportunity for creating philosophical community. It's quite a story. This is a man on fire to help people think more deeply about their lives and experiences. And a man willing to go wherever he can to make this happen. Throughout the pages of the book, he comes across as an idealist who is willing to do what it takes to see his dream come true. And the book consists of stories from along the way. We get to sit in on discussions all over the place, in a prison, or in a school. We are allowed to listen in on people's ruminations, reflections, and efforts to articulate their deepest beliefs. We overhear polite disagreements and witness collaborative efforts to get at the truth. What is the examined life recommended by Socrates? How can we live it? What is the best sort of life to live? And how do we get our bearings day to day, whatever we happen to be doing? The conversations can veer from the practical to the theoretical, but always the voices of real people break through. I couldn't put it down until I had read the whole book, and it's rare for a new book to hold my attention like that when I really should be reading three others I've already started. Take a look at Socrates Cafe and you may find yourself drawn into its great conversations like I was. And somewhere up in Platonic Heaven, Socrates himself may smile.
|
