Trying to read some serious books about modern philosophical theories and having no academic background in the subject, I decided to pull this little bit of a book from the shelf to see if it would help. It did not.

The authors have great senses of humor, and many of the jokes are "laugh out loud" funny, but I am no closer to understanding any philosophical theory from Plato and Aristotle to the present. It was a fun break, however, and I recommend it if you are looking for some jokes to add to your repertoire. ( )

Philosophy 101 told through jokes ( )

The only thing this has going for it, is the title. It comprises15% philosophical terminology, 85% very simplistic, very stupid, jokes. It warrants a much more thorough review of philosophical concepts. ( )

In Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar… by Thomas Cathcart & Daniel Klein the authors use jokes to illustrate a wide variety of philosophical schools of thought. Sometimes they do it with great intelligence and deftness, sometimes not so much. Most of the jokes are quite funny, with an occasional belly-buster, but some do fall a little flat.

But the jokes are only a vehicle for the authors to open the door for the layman to understand different philosophical thoughts. For the most part, they are successful in this venture, but there are a few sections which I didn’t understand any better after reading them than I did before. Overall, however, the book seems to be meant only to introduce the reader to philosophy, leaving it to them to explore different concepts on their own.

What this book really accomplishes is make philosophy accessable to readers who have had little to no exposure to it.

Click for full review: http://thekoolaidmom.wordpress.com/20... ( )

Recommended comic relief for students of Allen Renear and Information Modeling. ( )