The Philosophy Book: Big Ideas Simply Explained (DK Big Ideas)

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The Power of Now shows you that every minute you spend worrying about the future or regretting the past is a minute lost, because the only place you can truly live in is the present, the now, which is why the book offers actionable strategies to start living every minute as it occurs and becoming 100% present in and for your life. Why should you read it? DK’s extensive children’s list showcases a fantastic store of information for children, toddlers and babies. DK covers everything from animals and the human body, to homework help and craft activities, together with an impressive list of licensing titles, including the best-selling LEGO® books.

Everyone sees what you appear to be, few experience what you really are.” — Niccolò Machiavelli The Book in One Sentence It is better to live your own destiny imperfectly than to live an imitation of somebody else’s life with perfection.” — Vyasa The Book in One Sentence The Better Angels of Our Nature proves that we live in the most peaceful time in history, taking us through several major shifts that led to a global reduction in crime, explaining what motivates us to behave violently, and showing that these motivators are far outweighed by our naturally peaceful tendencies. Why should you read it? This one’s for nerds and philosophy geeks like me. Even modern translations still aren’t always super easy to understand, and you’ll have to reread sentences all the time. That said, there is something about reading an original text that makes it feel more special than even the best second-hand reporting. If you want to be able to claim you’ve actually read Aristotle, get yourself a copy of this book. Key TakeawaysChange is infectious and when success is achieved in one area, you are encouraged to apply the same techniques to another area of your life.” — Sarah Harvey The Book in One Sentence We grow the aspects of our lives that we feed — with energy and engagement — and choke off those we deprive of fuel. Your life is what you agree to attend to.” — Jim Loehr & Tony Schwartz The Book in One Sentence For a deeper dive into Stoicism and its central areas of application, consider this book. Like many other books on the topic, it divides its ideas into three section mapping to the three Stoic disciplines, so even if you’re just looking for advice on one particular field, you can easily skip around and get right to what’s most relevant to you right now. Key Takeaways The Daily Stoic is a year-long compilation of short, daily meditations from ancient Stoic philosophers, like Seneca, Epictetus, and Marcus Aurelius, teaching you equanimity, resilience, and perseverance via the three Stoic disciplines of perception, action, and will. Why should you read it? This book has done a good job explaining some of the most notable philosophers and their influential ideas. This is especially true in the entries of modern and contemporary period continental philosophers. Figures such as Heidegger and Derrida whose books are condemned as difficult to follow are explained here clearly without any shred of doubt left. The flowcharts, images and pictures are perhaps there to attract those who have no appetite with philosophy at all, but they are somewhat helpful and not at all redundant.

Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win.” — Sun Tzu The Book in One Sentence You needn’t settle for a mediocre life just because the people around you did.” — Joshua Fields Millburn & Ryan Nicodemus The Book in One Sentence Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms — to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” — Viktor Frankl The Book in One SentenceControl your perceptions. Direct your actions properly. Willingly accept what’s outside your control.” — Ryan Holiday The Book in One Sentence I wrote all the chapters from Nietzsche to Žižek for DK Books’s global hit, “The Philosophy Book.” The book has gone on to sell more than 7 million copies worldwide. DK was founded in London in 1974 and is now the world leading illustrated reference publisher and a member of the Penguin Random House division of Bertelsmann. DK publishes highly visual, photographic non-fiction for adults and children. DK produces content for consumers in over 100 countries and over 60 languages, with offices in the UK, India, US, Germany, China, Canada, Spain and Australia. The more time you spend thinking about yourself, the more suffering you will experience.” — Dalai Lama & Desmond Tutu The Book in One Sentence

Unlike most of the other ancient philosophers, Epictetus didn’t start from wealth. He was a slave, but thanks to his ideas and behavior, he was set free. He lived frugally till the end of his days, and that’s why his lectures are full of common sense. If you want an original take on Stoicism that didn’t come from a point of privilege, this is your best bet. Key Takeaways Clearly the Goodreads readership knows little about philosophy outside the western tradition (as rich as it is). Unfortunately, the western tradition is at best only one quarter of the world philosophical pie. As only one example to support such a statement, consider the 25 volumes of Karl H. Potter's (this being only one volume) Encyclopedia of Indian Philosophies Vol. 8: Buddhist Philosophy from 100 to 350 A.D.. Indian philosophy itself is as old and as complex and as varied and as sophisticated as the entire Greek-European tradition. Get with it folks - start reading and learning the philosophy of the world's other great literary cultures! The Ethics of Ambiguity explains existentialist philosophy in a post–World War II setting, showing us how we can accept the absurdity of life and use its randomness to create rather than despair. Why should you read it? If you’re already on the Stoicism-train but want to know more about the most important Stoic philosophers’ lives, this book is for you. Beyond just the most important Stoic ideas, you’ll also find plenty of anecdotes and details about the lives of Epicurus, Seneca, Marcus Aurelius, and others. If you like biographies, you’ll enjoy this book. Key TakeawaysWho you are is defined by what you’re willing to struggle for.” — Mark Manson The Book in One Sentence