Sophie’s World by Jostein Gaardner

Subtitled “A Novel About the History of Philosophy,” Sophie’s World is a a unique and intriguing book that blends a basic history of philosophy with an enjoyable story, a philosophical mystery. The history of philosophy is very basic and most appropriate for those without much exposure to the field or a very rusty and rudimentary knowledge of it. The upper school where Mike teaches owns a class set and used it in a Western Civ class last year, which is how I was introduced to the book. I would recommend it to homeschoolers (appropriate for teenagers) and adults who are ashamed of their grasp of the history of the big questions. At the very least, it will give you a rubric and help to direct you to philosophical movements you might want to investigate more deeply. Borrowed from the School. (9/10)