Big Ideas for Curious Minds: An Introduction to Philosophy

Description:

About this item:

Children are, in many ways, born philosophers.

Without prompting, they ask some of the largest questions about time, mortality, happiness and the meaning of it all. Yet too often this inborn curiosity is not developed and, with age, the questions fall away.

This is a book designed to harness children's spontaneous philosophical instinct and to develop it through introductions to some of the most vibrant and essential philosophical ideas of history. The book takes us to meet leading figures of philosophy from around the world and from all eras - and shows us how their ideas continue to matter.

The book functions as an ideal introduction to philosophy, as well as a charming way to open up conversations between adults and children about the biggest questions we all face.

What people are saying about Big Ideas for Curious Minds:

"This is an absolute must have for ALL children. It is absolutely fantastic and helps children understand a number of their daily struggles. In fact I take that previous comment back, this is an absolute must for EVERYONE. I have had read it from cover to cover, and as a 40 year old woman I have honestly learnt something new." Freddies Mummy UK

"This is a beautifully produced book published by the School of Life (founded by well known philosopher Alain de Botton). It is a very accessible starting point for exploring philosophy and how philosophical ideas can be applied to everyday life, in fact it is very explicit about this." Ewingel

"I can't stop reading and talking about this book with others. It is easy to follow and great for an introduction to philosophy for kids. Well written, great illustrations, ideas and clever how it relates the philosophers' ideas to the lives and issues that children have. 5 stars!" Thomas Leesa

"The book itself is genius with an introduction to leading figures of philosophy from around the world from all eras. Alongside that there are chapters teaching our children crucial lessons about life, about love, and about loss. Topics such as 'Why you feel lonely' , 'Politeness matters' , 'People are unhappy not mean' , and 'The mind-body problem' offer invaluable insights into philosophy in a way that our children can really get on board with. When the book arrived and I had a quick glance through it, my immediate reaction was that it was far too old for my children. And yet when I took the time to start reading, and to admire the beautiful illustrations, I found myself still sat there, an hour later, realising that this was exactly the kind of book I want each of my children to read as they grow." Five Little Doves

"The focus of these chapters are incredibly meaningful, some of my favourites include 'People are unhappy, not mean', 'Learn to say what s on your mind', 'Good things are (unexpectedly) hard' and 'Politeness matters'. The book has been written by the fantastic School of Life and it is suggested for curious minds aged 9+. I think most adults would also find these ideas incredibly helpful to reflect on; who doesn't need reminding that when someone is angry, maybe it's not you who is responsible?" Louise Treherne, Role Models

"Although Big Ideas for Curious Minds is aimed at children I have got a lot from it too and I wish I had read it myself as a child... This book has taught me, and LP, new ways of thinking and new ways of being." What the Redhead Said

Review

"This is an absolute must have for ALL children. It is absolutely fantastic and helps children understand a number of their daily struggles. In fact I take that previous comment back, this is an absolute must for EVERYONE. I have had read it from cover to cover, and as a 40 year old woman I have honestly learnt something new." Freddies Mummy UK

"This is a beautifully produced book published by the School of Life (founded by well known philosopher Alain de Botton). It is a very accessible starting point for exploring philosophy and how philosophical ideas can be applied to everyday life, in fact it is very explicit about this." Ewingel

"I can't stop reading and talking about this book with others. It is easy to follow and great for an introduction to philosophy for kids. Well written, great illustrations, ideas and clever how it relates the philosophers' ideas to the lives and issues that children have. 5 stars!" Thomas Leesa

"The book itself is genius with an introduction to leading figures of philosophy from around the world from all eras. Alongside that there are chapters teaching our children crucial lessons about life, about love, and about loss. Topics such as 'Why you feel lonely', 'Politeness matters', 'People are unhappy not mean', and 'The mind-body problem' offer invaluable insights into philosophy in a way that our children can really get on board with. When the book arrived and I had a quick glance through it, my immediate reaction was that it was far too old for my children. And yet when I took the time to start reading, and to admire the beautiful illustrations, I found myself still sat there, an hour later, realising that this was exactly the kind of book I want each of my children to read as they grow." Five Little Doves

"The focus of these chapters are incredibly meaningful, some of my favourites include 'People are unhappy, not mean', 'Learn to say what s on your mind', 'Good things are (unexpectedly) hard' and 'Politeness matters'. The book has been written by the fantastic School of Life and it is suggested for curious minds aged 9+. I think most adults would also find these ideas incredibly helpful to reflect on; who doesn't need reminding that when someone is angry, maybe it's not you who is responsible?" Louise Treherne, Role Models

"Although Big Ideas for Curious Minds is aimed at children I have got a lot from it too and I wish I had read it myself as a child... This book has taught me, and LP, new ways of thinking and new ways of being." What the Redhead Said

--The School of Life

From the Back Cover

A fun and engaging book designed to harness and develop children's natural philosophical interest.

Without prompting children often ask some of the largest questions about time, mortality, happiness and the meaning of life. Yet all too often their inborn curiosity is not developed and, with age, the questions fall away. This book addresses some of their more complex questions by introducing accessible philosophical concepts from 25 famous thinkers, contextualized in relatable everyday scenarios. Presented in an interactive question and answer format this book takes us to meet leading figures of philosophy from around the world and from all eras-and shows us how their ideas continue to matter.

With discussions about some of the most vibrant and essential philosophical ideas of history, this accessible book functions as an ideal introduction to the subject as well as a charming way to open up conversations between children and adults about the biggest questions we all face.

About the Author

The School of Life is a global organisation helping people lead more fulfilled lives. Through our range of books, gifts and stationery we aim to prompt more thoughtful natures and help everyone to find fulfilment. The School of Life is a resource for exploring self-knowledge, relationships, work, socialising, finding calm and enjoying culture through content, community and conversation. You can find us online, in stores and in welcoming spaces around the world offering classes, events and one-to-one therapy sessions. The School of Life is a rapidly growing global brand, with over 7 million YouTube subscribers, 389,000 Facebook followers, 239,000 Instagram followers and 163,000 Twitter followers. The School of Life Press brings together the thinking and ideas of the School of Life creative team under the direction of series editor, Alain de Botton. Their books share a coherent, curated message that speaks with one voice: calm, reassuring, and sane.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Philosophy is quite a mysterious subject that most people don’t know anything about. The average school doesn’t teach it, the average adult does not understand it, and the whole subject can seem odd and kind of unnecessary. That’s a real pity because in fact, philosophy has a lot to teach everyone, whatever their age. It might even be the most important subject you will ever study. This book wants to open the door for you— to show you what philosophy is all about, and how it can help you to understand life. The word ‘philosophy’ itself gives us a bit of a clue as to why the subject matters. It’s originally a word from Ancient Greek: the first part, philo, means ‘love’ (philately means the love of stamps). The second part, which comes from the word sophia, means ‘wisdom’. So, when you put the two parts together—philo-sophy—it literally means ‘the love of wisdom’. Philosophy helps us to live wise lives. But what does ‘wisdom’ mean? It’s not very obvious, at first. Is being wise just about being clever? No, it’s much more than that. It’s about being sensible, kind, calm and accepting of how life can sometimes be (which isn’t always perfect, and sometimes really quite hard). To get a better idea of what wisdom might involve, we can think about its opposite: not being wise. Imagine that your mum loses her keys. There are unwise ways she might deal with this. Maybe she starts shouting at other people: ‘Who moved my car keys?’ (even though probably no one did move them). Or maybe she gets into a panic and throws herself onto the sofa, moaning that she’s a complete idiot and that her entire life is ruined. Poor mum! What would a wiser mum do? Instead of ranting and raving, or starting to panic straight away, she would think: ‘Well, car keys do tend to get lost from time to time. I must have put them somewhere… maybe they’re in the coat I was wearing yesterday.’ She could ask (calmly) if you had seen them, and she might even laugh about how silly she was to forget where she’d put them. There are lots of situations where you can see the difference between unwise and wise ways of dealing with stuff that happens. There are lots of problems, both big and small, in everyone’s life—including yours, too, of course. We can never get rid of them entirely (though we try hard), but we can all get better at how we deal with our problems. We can try not to get angry so often, try to shout less, and try not to panic or hurt the people we love. Philosophy tries to help us act more wisely when facing the problems in our lives that we can’t do much about.

Review:

4.9 out of 5

98.46% of customers are satisfied

5.0 out of 5 stars Junior School of Life

J. · 24 September 2018

I love this book. I'm a big fan of the School of Life and its approach of gently applying ideas from philosophy to soothe our everyday woes. Big Ideas for Curious Minds takes the School's "consolations of philosophy" approach and presents it in a form suitable for children.The ideas presented are practical, focusing on problems we all have and which affect children too. What things really make me happy? Do I want the right things? Why are other people mean to me sometimes? What is the real reason I'm in a bad mood?Each problem is presented and then framed in terms of a particular philosopher's viewpoint. The viewpoints are chosen to help children develop an understanding of why they - and others - feel the way they feel and of how they can think about things to feel better. I hope this will give my children a bit of a mental toolkit to help them through life.The philosophers themselves are introduced with a short biography and some nicely drawn portraits, a bit like "Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls". If you liked that book, you'll like this one too.Big Ideas for Curious Minds would make an ideal stocking filler for a bright pre-teen.

5.0 out of 5 stars Valuable book

P.K. · 2 August 2023

100% valuable book. Bought it for my kids and there are incredible lessons in it. Could not recommend this book more, really glad I ordered it. Recommend this book to anyone with kids but also I am getting a lot out of it.

5.0 out of 5 stars Valuable information for children and their parents

N. · 15 September 2023

This book is written to inspire and encourage children to be more conscious and live live wisely. Highly recommended 🙏

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic. Everyone should have one

V. · 15 March 2022

Every child and adult should have one of these. It’s a great simple little start to philosophy.For new families, for child and parent this is a very well worded piece teaching the understandings to healthy relationships and potentially enrich a child’s mind and encouragement to learn better self development, treatment of others and brighter futures.

4.0 out of 5 stars Can't wait to read.

E.C. · 27 May 2021

Looks good can't wait to read it. Arrived in good time, well packaged. Bit smaller than I thought it would be

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic book for children who curious about the life.

A.C. · 7 September 2023

One of my child requested it to buy. We read it together and we liked it.

5.0 out of 5 stars Insightful, even for an adult!

S.N. · 2 January 2023

This book is well written and the ideas are essential to healthy living from an ethical, phylosophical and pyscological point of view. Plus excellent illustrations and examples.

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb book

A.C. · 29 July 2023

Every school needs this book-and to share its thoughtsGreat introduction to philosophyWill stimulate lots of discussion

One of the BEST books I have ever purchased for my child!

R.F. · 30 August 2024

We read this book together - such a great layout and great stories about philosophy for children! My favorite book purchase in a very long time!

Excelente para jovens de todas as idades

C.A. · 15 October 2021

Apesar do livro ser direcionado ao público infanto-juvenil, é uma leitura que tem tudo para agradar ao leitor de qualquer idade. O livro traz, de forma resumida, um apanhado da base filosófica de diversos pensadores. O livro é em inglês. Entretanto, justamente por ser voltado para o público infanto-juvenil, é escrito em um inglês simples e muito bem escrito.Conclusão, é uma oportunidade de visitar os pensamentos de expoentes da filosofia e ainda praticar a leitura em inglês. Leitura muito agradável.

Great book not only for kids but even for adults who hated philosophy in the university

Z.S. · 4 August 2024

I like that it asks you provocative questions about yourself. You can find some useful ideas even as an adult.And it is NOT boring! I wish I had it when we studied philosophy in my 1st year...

Wunderbar!

E. · 14 October 2022

Ein wunderbares Buch, das ich nur wärmstens empfehlen kann.Von inspirierenden Ideen bis zu liebevoller Illustration - ein Schatz!

A wonderful book

J.T. · 20 September 2019

This book is great. My kids (8 & 11) can easily read the material on their own, and then we discuss the chapter as a family.I was a bit concerned before ordering that religion/worldview topics might be included, but have no fear, this book is safe from those types of discussions.They use a great blend of easy to read explanations, with an appropriate amount of clean humour.

Visit the The School of Life Press Store

Big Ideas for Curious Minds: An Introduction to Philosophy

Name: Big Ideas for Curious Minds: An Introduction to Philosophy
Brand: The School of Life Press
SKU: K1999747143
Price: 12.20 BHD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.8 (13 reviews)

4.8

^BHD12¹⁹⁸

Quantity:

Order today to get by

Free delivery on orders over BHD 20

Return and refund policies

Product origin: United Kingdom

All product information listed on the site are from 3rd party sources, including images and reviews. bolo.bh is not liable for any claims or promotions mentioned on the product description or images with textual content. For detailed product information, please contact the manufacturer or Bolo support by logging into your account. Unless stated otherwise during checkout, all import taxes and duty are included in the price mentioned on the product page. bolo.bh follows the rules and regulations of sale in Bahrain and will cancel items in an order that are illegal for sale in Bahrain. We take all the necessary steps to ensure only products for sale in Bahrain are displayed. Product stock and delivery estimate may change with the seller even after placing the order. All items are shipped by air and items marked “Dangerous Goods (DG)” by the IATA will be cancelled from orders. We strive to process your order as soon as it is finalized.

Similar suggestions by Bolo

Similar items from “Friendship, Social Skills & School Life”

Books

Children's Books

Growing Up & Facts of Life

Friendship, Social Skills & School Life