Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Like many nonfiction graphic novels written by non-comic writers, philosophy professor Patton's wordy text drives the narrative. But Cannon's (The Stuff of Life) art transcends what could have been a second-place relationship to keep this textbook-like explanation of the key thinkers of history visually entertaining. Heraclitus takes the reader on a canoe trip down the River of Philosophy (complete with charming talking fish) as a way to introduce the exploration of six key areas-logic, perception, minds, free will, the existence of God, and ethics-and the famous thinkers who made key discoveries in each. Early on, it's noted that women aren't part of the "accepted canon," which consists of well-known male philosophers who each get a brief, half-page biographical snapshot. Otherwise, the concept-based structure, which incorporates ideas from across eras, is welcoming and understandable to the casual reader, accompanied by Cannon's sometimes-funny, sometimes-insightful visual metaphors. The sequence illustrating mind-body interaction, with a little Leibniz sitting on Descartes's head and holding a ship's wheel, is particularly amusing. Moreover, it helps the ideas stick with the reader, as do the glossary and bibliography for more in-depth reading. (Apr.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
With amiable pre-Socratic philosopher Heraclitus as a guide, this primer presents a lively romp through the philosophical canon from ancient times to the present day. Fun facts and engaging illustrations of heavy concepts abound, explained with wit and grace by author Patton (director of philosophy and religion, Univ. of Montevallo, AL) and rounded out with fun, energetic illustrations by Cannon (cocreator, Evolution). The authors manage to make explorations of epistemology, metaphysics, and axiology engaging and understandable, careful to keep things just light enough to avoid overwhelming the reader, while somehow simultaneously presenting in-depth discussions of these concepts that don't skirt the tricky parts that have kept great minds debating since the age of antiquity. Verdict The dynamic, cartoony illustrations might lead some to assume that this title is a little more accessible than it actually is, but anyone with an interest in learning about the philosophers and philosophical concepts that have shaped 21st-century life without having to plow their way through a dry textbook will find this title a stimulating delight.-Thomas L. Batten, Grafton, VA © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
An obscure, pre-Socratic Greek philosopher takes readers down the long river of philosophy, explaining movements, theories, breakthroughs and ethics with the help of a few special guest stars.Oh, what cartoonist and mathematician Larry Gonick started when he launched his cartoon histories of history and the universe. Now, Hill and Wang follows up its cartoon histories about economics with this clever and high-spirited history of philosophy by Patton (Philosophy/Univ. of Montevallo) and illustrator Cannon (Crater XV, 2013, etc.) Our narrator is Heraclitus, who literally paddles readers down the river of philosophy represented in his teachings, stopping along the way to pick up passengers like a foulmouthed Friedrich Nietzsche. "Twenty-five centuries ago, when I said that It is not possible to step twice into the same river'I was remarking on the fact that everything around us is in flux, and change is the only constant," Heraclitus explains. "This also applies to the field of philosophy, which, perhaps more than any other, is constantly changing due to its own progress and self-criticism. No two rides down this river will be the same." The themes are broken up nicely so that in the chapter on logic, we might meet Aristotle but also John Stuart Mill; in "Minds," we reconnect with Nietzsche but also run into the British mathematician Alan Turing and his famous "Turing Test" or even the contemporary Australian philosopher David John Chalmers. In the chapter on God, we meet classical thinkers in Thomas Aquinas and Immanuel Kant but also debate Charles Darwin over whether evolution and natural selection are possible without a guiding hand from a creator. Patton and Cannon also offer a nice visual portrait of each philosopher as well as a concise summary of each person's work and ideas, not to mention a helpful glossary covering the spectrum from "Absolutism" to "Validity." A fun, clear and clever introduction to the rich history of philosophy in the Western world. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
