Socrates to Sartre: A Philosophic Quest by T Z Lavine - A Review

Philosophy is undoubtedly a deadening subject to venture into unless there is a right source to guide you. Here is one such good guide especially beneficial for people interested in getting introduced to Philosophy.
Written in a simple and lucid language giving a challenging look at the great thinkers (Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, Hume, Hegel, Marx, Sartre etc) who has shaped Human civilization, the book is capable of arousing one’s interest in philosophy and philosophical way of looking at things. What makes the book special to read is the emphasis on the Historical back-ground and the prevailing intellectual and political mood during the philosopher’s time that made the philosophies possible, at the same time offering an in-depth analysis of the above mentioned thinker’s philosophy and the implications it had on the Human Civilization.

The book completely ignores Arthur Schopenhauer and for the name sake mentions Nietzsche and Voltaire which I feel is not appropriate in-view of their massive contribution to Philosophy and their influences up on great no of philosophers, scientists and writers. This apart, at times, you feel the book over simplifies and ignores the intended underlying philosophies especially in the segments of Descartes and Hegel (I may be wrong here. It’s just a feeling and not an academic criticism). On the whole, a great book to know all about Philosophy in a simple manner.