If you're reading philosophy books this summer on the beach, by the pool, or in the garden, you don't want something boring, but worthy; you don't want something that's too long to get through, or too big to fit in your bag. I've picked out five books I'd recommend for holiday reading that are all rewarding, readable, and stimulating, but not too heavy in any sense.
1. Socrates in Love by Armand D'Angour
Just published, Socrates in Love is a fascinating attempt to uncover the early life of Socrates, one of the greatest thinkers of all time. Whether you accept D'Angour's theory that the young Socrates was very different from the older man portrayed by Plato – lover, warrior, wrestler, dancer – the elegance of D'Angour's prose, and the lightness of his touch, make this a very pleasurable read. The author is an Oxford Classics don, so the erudition is there, but he takes the general reader along every step of the way. Could Socrates have had an older, female mentor? It is a radical thesis. And it could be true.
2. How to Live: Or, a life of Montaigne in one question and twenty attempts at an answer by Sarah Bakewell
Like Sarah Bakewell's more recent book, At the Existentialist Café, this is beautifully written. How to Live is the story of the quirky 16th-century genius Montaigne, who was transformed by a narrow escape from death and by the early loss of a friend and became a reflective writer, retiring to his study to write brilliant and sometimes strange essays that can seem peculiarly modern. His digressive writing, often intimately confessional, playful, and challenging, all at the same time, is completely compelling. I challenge you to read Bakewell's book without turning to the essays themselves. She gives their flavour and context, and discusses the best of them in a way that is both true to her subject, and is immensely satisfying to read.
3. The Complete Philosophy Files by Stephen Law
For those who are on holiday as a family, this is the ideal philosophy book to bring along. Written in short, humorous, easy-to-read chapters, with illustrations by Daniel Postgate, Law addresses most of the big philosophical questions, approaching them through imaginative sci-fi scenarios and thought experiments that are sure to get you discussing them. Is there a God? Should I eat meat? Where did the Universe come from? These are questions that children ask, and few adults can answer definitively. Once your children realise what you are reading, and how entertaining and stimulating this is, you'll probably find them sneaking the book away to read themselves.
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