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The Making of a Philosopher
 
 
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The Making of a Philosopher (Paperback)

by Colin McGinn (Author)
3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Paperback: 256 pages
  • Publisher: Scribner; New Ed edition (6 Oct 2003)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0743231805
  • ISBN-13: 978-0743231800
  • Product Dimensions: 19.8 x 13 x 2.2 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 232,800 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Product Description

Oliver Sacks
Brilliantly written, devastatingly honest, often very funny, and tells a personal story as fascinating as the philosophical one. Engrossing

Stephen Pinker
McGinn is an ingenious philosopher who thinks like a laser and writes like a dream

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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews

8 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
3.9 out of 5 stars (8 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Literary Genius, 19 Nov 2003
Colin McGinn is a master at getting his point across whether you’re philosophically enlightened or not. McGinn has a gift for both clarity of thought and expressing these thoughts.

I often find philosophy books disorientating but I just couldn't put this book down. This book is a philosophical autobiography, traversing his voyage through philosophy and how he arrived at his own philosophical opinions, he often sidesteps away from conceptual thought and lightens the mood with witty anecdotes and I think he strikes a healthy balance. I found this a comforting, light relief from the occasionally weighty philosophical concept. He knows when to push an idea, how to push it, how much to push it, and just as your on the verge of being swamped under overwhelming weight of it all.....he backs off and fills you in on some of his youthful undertakings. Literary Genius! a truly unique book.

A 'must read' for anybody approaching philosophy for the first time or anybody willing to test the water of philosophy.

If like me you find philosophy enthralling and inpirational but all too often get bogged down by heavy philosophical texts, then this is the book for you.

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7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A Magnificent incite to the World of Philosophy, 29 Jan 2004
I came across this book having read an article on him in a newspaper. I bought it, and have never been so interested by a book. It is truly thought provoking.

I am a complete novice when it comes to philosophy. The joy of this book is that it takes you through many philosophical topics: the mind and the brain, linguistic philosophy and the existence of God, whilst not getting too heavy! The philosophical discussions are dispersed with light biographical recollections to easethe brain after a bit of serious thought.

I would recomend this book to anyone with even a minor interest in philosophy, regardless of their previous philosophical experience!

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10 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining the mind, 31 Oct 2003
Having previously never heard of Colin McGinn, I was extremely pleased to discover one of his books. I have never claimed to be a philosopher, in fact truth be told i’m a relative newcomer to the subject. So naturally I was keen to be introduced to the subject. The book proved to be both informative and interesting, and just as importantly was witty and gripping throughout. Taking the form of an autobiography as a reader we are introduced to the wonderful world of philosophy through the authors eyes, experiencing his journey of discovery as he did. I found this a great way to learn about some of the most important philosophical theories in recent history.
His ability to both introduce and explain the numerous theories was immensely effective. Too many academic writers these days can become obsessed with jargon and excessive detail. But not Colin McGinn! His style of writing is approachable, and a joy to read. I would recommend this to anyone after a real introduction to the subject.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Philosophy Packs a Punch

Towards the end (p. 222) of this head-banging autobiography, the author explains his reputation as a tough reviewer of other books. Read more
Published 2 months ago by BioDiplomacy

3.0 out of 5 stars Popular philosophy?
It is only on the page before last we find the author's intentions: to make philosophy "intelligible to the layperson. Read more
Published 23 months ago by stevieby

2.0 out of 5 stars intersting autobiograpy, uninspiring philosophy
This book lends itself readily to comparison with Bryan Magee's 'Confessions of a Philosopher' since it follows a similar line - a sense of exasperation with analytic philosophy... Read more
Published on 12 Feb 2004 by Sam Nico

5.0 out of 5 stars A great introduction to the man, and the philosophy.
Initially picking up this book, I was a little apprehensive as to what would be inside, but Colin McGinn's elegance in conveying exactly what he wants to say drew me in. Read more
Published on 31 Jul 2003 by zen-tzu

1.0 out of 5 stars boring
this is just boring. i did the philosophy of science at university and quite liked it - no thanks to this book. Read more
Published on 4 Jul 2003 by dan_zai

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