'Sophie's World' by Jostein Gaarder

Sophie’s World, Jostein Gaarder (5.0)

I read this book in the late 90’s and have wanted to reread it for some time. At 500+ pages – and mostly being a book about the history of Western philosophy - it is takes a bit to get through. But if you are at all interested in philosophy, it is worth the time. As a reader, you are learning about philosophy as it is being taught to a 14-year-old girl. The author starts with the girl receiving strange letters and postcards asking a philosophical question (‘why are we here’) followed by a letter explaining the concept from the point of view of Socrates or Aristotle. Eventually she meets her teacher and the lessons go into more depth. Not only do you learn about different philosophers with approachable language, the plot of the book (yes, there is a subtle plot) is written in an Alice in Wonderland way that also helps illustrate some of the concepts. About half way into the book, there is a particularly difficult philosophy to grasp and the author does something quite mind blowing to ‘show’ rather than just ‘tell’. This book is not for everyone, but I hope those who choose to take the adventure find it as remarkable as I did.