New Edition

If you are buying a new copy, please be aware that Philosophy for Life is a new and much revised edition of this book. There are plenty of copies of this edition available, however, and it remains a useful introduction to the subject. To see the new edition, click here.

Understand Philosophy

This book aims:

• to explain some of the main branches of philosophy

• to introduce key thinkers

• to outline some of the main arguments that have be put forward

• to provide an overview of basic concepts used in philosophy

• to give ideas an historical context

It is written for the general reader, for students at A level, and for those who may be considering, or starting on, a course in Philosophy at university level. It assumes no prior knowledge of the subject.

320 pages packed with what you need to get started in philosophy!

From an email just received from a reader in Singapore...

'I read your book on philosophy (teach yourself), and I found it very informative, insightful and fascinating. I am not exactly a person who reads serious books on a regular basis. Hence, I was quite skeptical on whether I will be able to digest the content of a book on philosophy. It turned out that I made the right choice by getting your book. I am a novice in the area of philosophy and therefore I am particularly thankful for the neat organissation of the book as well as the articulate explanation of concepts... ' (27th November 2012)

From Amazon reviews...

'This is a book which very much lives up to its title. I found it easy to comprehend and an extremely useful guide to the various elements of philosophy dealt with. In particular, I appreciated his 'insights' and 'comments' on the many fields of thought covered, each providing 'snappy' summaries of what for most of us is a rather complex and esoteric subject.'

'Can't complain. An easy to read and informative reference guide for those dabbling in philosophy, and even for those who know their philosophy in certain areas, but maybe not so much in others. Well worth it'.

Flash edition...

Please be aware that Philosophy Made Simple (like all Flash editions) contains no new material. It simply presents some of the core text from Understand Philosophy, with many sections and examples removed.

The Kindle version of this is currently being offered by Amazon in the UK for only £1.99!

When is the same book not the same book?

Earlier editions of Understand Philosophy were published as Teach Yourself Philosophy. The book remains substantially the same, but new features have been added and the text has been revised.