| Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar . . .: Understanding Philosophy Through Jokes | 
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Avg. Customer Rating:   (based on 116 reviews)
Sales Rank: 2028
Category: Book
Authors: Thomas Cathcart, Daniel Klein
Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics)
Studio: Penguin (Non-Classics)
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
Label: Penguin (Non-Classics)
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Paperback
Edition: Reprint
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 224
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 7 x 4.8 x 0.7
ISBN: 0143113879
Dewey Decimal Number: 102.07
EAN: 9780143113874
ASIN: 0143113879
Publication Date: June 24, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
This New York Times bestseller is the hilarious philosophy course everyone wishes they?d had in school
Outrageously funny, Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar . . . has been a breakout bestseller ever since authors?and born vaudevillians?Thomas Cathcart and Daniel Klein did their schtick on NPR?s Weekend Edition. Lively, original, and powerfully informative, Plato and a Platypus Walk Into a Bar . . . is a not-so-reverent crash course through the great philosophical thinkers and traditions, from Existentialism (What do Hegel and Bette Midler have in common?) to Logic (Sherlock Holmes never deduced anything). Philosophy 101 for those who like to take the heavy stuff lightly, this is a joy to read?and finally, it all makes sense!
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| Customer Reviews: Read 111 more reviews...
A course in philosophy via jokes July 25, 2008
Two Harvard philosophy majors have written a funny, satirical look at their chosen vocation. They discuss Western philosophy including logic, existentialism, ethics, and language. Philosophy can sometimes be a deep, dreary subject (especially when discussing Sartre or Nietzsche) but this book makes it fun.
 Unfocused July 24, 2008
In this small book, Thomas Cathcart and Daniel Klein purport to teach "philosophy through jokes," but the effort falls flat. Though the authors seem to believe in their own premise, the jokes only rarely have more than the most tenuous connection to the philosophical principle at hand, and as such are not very effective illustrations.
The book's length also works against it: the authors have crammed a lot into the 200 undersized pages, but this means each idea gets only minimal space. Hence, the descriptions try to put everything into as few words as possible, resulting in a lot of text that is, if not confusing, at least not very inviting for a philosophical amateur. Someone who has taken one or two philosophy courses may have better luck following the explanations, but at that point, the reader may already know more than the book has to teach. All of this makes the intended audience somewhat unclear.
The most helpful thing here might be the glossary, which takes all of the major concepts in the book and distills each one down to one or two clear, concise sentences--but these five pages alone are hardly worth the purchase price. "Plato" has a smattering of decent gags (the timeline of philosophical history, also in the back, might be the funniest thing in the book), but on the whole it tries to do too much and ends up not doing anything very well.
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Is there anyone else I can talk to? July 21, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Plato & a Platypus is a funfilled look at philosophy. The authors review major ideas and reinforce the discussion with a series of topical jokes. A theological discussion with God ends with, "Is there anyone else I can talk to about this?"
This won't get you through Philosophy 101, but the jokes will be a hit with the professor.
 A Great Book July 21, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This book is incredible! First of all, the jokes are simply amazing. I've never read a book of jokes with more memorable winners that get funnier each time you tell them. (Of course, some of the jokes are not politically correct, so you can't tell them in California, where I live.) Second, the rest of the text is funny and light, too, with hilarious cartoons and witty dialogue. Third, the philosophy is actually right on the money. If you read and think about the discussion in this book, you will definitely be doing philosophy. It is rather lighter than some other books (e.g., Paulos' "I think, therefore I laugh"), but it quickly and genuinely gets to the major issues in each of the great areas of philosophy it handles, including logic, epistemology, metaphysics, ethics, social philosophy, and philosophy of language. Finally, it's a hard-bound book of excellent craftsmanship selling at a crazy low price.
I have taught introductory philosophy courses to high school seniors, college students, and adults. I have used a number of different books, including "Sophie's World" and "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance," as well as more traditional textbooks like Schick and Vaughn's "Doing Philosophy." Those books all have their strengths. But I think that this book would lead to more and better discussion (with less pedantry). And it would be a lot more fun, if you can catch your breath after laughing so hard.
(I'm sorry my review is not funny. But I swear the book is.)
For stand-up phlosopers July 17, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
In the Mel Brooks movie "History of the world, part One" There is a scene where all of the stand-up phlosophers are commanded to appear at Caesar's Palace. And yes, the screen shows the sign in Las Vegas. One of the philosophers comments that "When you die at the palace, you really die." This follows a conversation among the philosophers where it is said that "Oh, yeah, Socrates, he was the greatest!" This is the book that these guys needed. I gave it as a present to my son, Who teaches phlosophy at a midwestern university.
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