When I went into this book, my knowledge of philosophy was mostly drawn from that one university class on Wagner, and extensive re-watches of The Good Place. It’s a topic that I’ve always had an interest but that seems quite intimidating to a newbie, so I was glad for this book which gave me a good introduction.

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Starting in Ancient Greece, we get a whistle-stop tour of the key figures in Western philosophy. I do think the audiobook format was, on the whole, very helpful in understanding the different people and schools of thought over time. While some things, such as timelines, were difficult to keep track of in audio form, it was very helpful in understanding the different concepts to hear everything explained out loud.

What I found particularly fascinating is how philosophy as a discipline has changed over time. For example, I came across Aristotle’s ideas many times in my education, both in science and music as well as in ethics. It was really helpful to read a book like this, which places everything in its chronological context and lays out how the field has evolved over time.

It is worth noting that this book exclusively discusses European philosophy. I do think this should be clarified in the title, and while I’m by no means an expert I did feel that something was lost by glossing over Eastern influences on Western philosophers post-enlightenment era.

Overall, this was a fascinating read and a great introduction for anyone wanting to get started in learning about philosophy, or in looking at the field with a more holistic viewpoint.

I received a free copy for review. All opinions are my own.