ob_ledbetter's review against another edition
4.0
This was an uncomfortable and challenging read. When is being reminded of your own mortality fun? While this book gave me lots to ponder, it made the philosophical ideas and movements easy to digest. It’s philosophy minus the pretentiousness. Well done.
bxermom's review against another edition
3.0
Well, this is like the third time I attempted to read this. The first time I just didn't have time to read. The second time my Grandma was at the end stage of her life so the timing could not have been worse. So my third and final time was a charm.
It's not for everyone, but it is a haha book giving you their look at life, death and all that jazz.
Should you read it? Sure. Why not?
It's not for everyone, but it is a haha book giving you their look at life, death and all that jazz.
Should you read it? Sure. Why not?
eserafina42's review against another edition
2.0
Just OK - other people who know less about the subject might get more out of it than I did. A lot of the jokes were pretty funny, though.
riley_ng15's review against another edition
4.0
Như một nhà kiểm soát dân số cực đoan từng nói:"Perfectly Balanced.. As all Things Should Be" thì cuốn sách này là một sự cân bằng đến hoàn hảo giữa triết học khô khan và truyện cười hài hước.
ashlylynne's review against another edition
1.0
Synopsis
A pretty standard run-of-the-mill book on philosophy looking at life and what possibly comes next.
Heidegger and a Hippo Walk Though Those Pearly Gates: Using Philosophy (and Jokes!) to Explore Life, Death, the Afterlife, and Everything in Between by Thomas Cathcart and Daniel Klein
★
Genre: Nonfiction/Philosophy
Release Date: October 2009
Source: Library – Borrowed
On My Shelf: No Chance
This was not my thing. Then again, philosophy has never really been my thing, to say. I took a class on it in college and knew that it wasn’t something I wanted more than to dip my feet in. To me, it’s all just a bunch of flowery language written by privileged white men with too much time on their hands. I know there’s got to be some good musings out there, so please direct me to some if you know any!
So now, if I already knew the chance was that I wasn’t going to like it, then why did I check this out in the first place? Well, I’m a sucker for second chances. That, this title, and cover sold me to give this book a chance.
However, I should have listened to my gut and closed this book after the opening quote the authors had chosen. I can’t remember who it was by or what it was (since I’ve already forgotten it and most of this book…actually…pretty much all of it), but I remember rolling my eyes and thinking, “I should close this right now. I’m sure it would be for the best.”
It would have, but I went on with it anyway. Basically what it all came down to was that the language was exceptionally overdone, the concepts were hardly hashed out with no conclusions drawn despite talking about each one for ages, and the jokes weren’t funny.
This book was such a waste of time that I’ll never get back. I should have listened to my cut and left this one closed. I urge you to save your self the time and heed my warning. I definitely do not recommend reading this one.
Review originally published on my Wordpress blog Ashly Reads.
A pretty standard run-of-the-mill book on philosophy looking at life and what possibly comes next.
Heidegger and a Hippo Walk Though Those Pearly Gates: Using Philosophy (and Jokes!) to Explore Life, Death, the Afterlife, and Everything in Between by Thomas Cathcart and Daniel Klein
★
Genre: Nonfiction/Philosophy
Release Date: October 2009
Source: Library – Borrowed
On My Shelf: No Chance
This was not my thing. Then again, philosophy has never really been my thing, to say. I took a class on it in college and knew that it wasn’t something I wanted more than to dip my feet in. To me, it’s all just a bunch of flowery language written by privileged white men with too much time on their hands. I know there’s got to be some good musings out there, so please direct me to some if you know any!
So now, if I already knew the chance was that I wasn’t going to like it, then why did I check this out in the first place? Well, I’m a sucker for second chances. That, this title, and cover sold me to give this book a chance.
However, I should have listened to my gut and closed this book after the opening quote the authors had chosen. I can’t remember who it was by or what it was (since I’ve already forgotten it and most of this book…actually…pretty much all of it), but I remember rolling my eyes and thinking, “I should close this right now. I’m sure it would be for the best.”
It would have, but I went on with it anyway. Basically what it all came down to was that the language was exceptionally overdone, the concepts were hardly hashed out with no conclusions drawn despite talking about each one for ages, and the jokes weren’t funny.
This book was such a waste of time that I’ll never get back. I should have listened to my cut and left this one closed. I urge you to save your self the time and heed my warning. I definitely do not recommend reading this one.
Review originally published on my Wordpress blog Ashly Reads.
cheryl6of8's review against another edition
3.0
I am not great at following philosophy but this seemed an accessible way to try to understand bits and pieces of it. The stuff about understanding what makes the self was helpful for my current studies in psychology and I found some of the religious aspects interesting. And the whole thing was packaged well enough that I wanted to keep reading it. Not sure what else to say except that Darryl did not harvest the best jokes for the end shtick.
davybaby's review against another edition
2.0
I listened to this in the car. I think if I'd actually had to move my eyes, I wouldn't have finished it.
I think the problem is that surface-level philosophy doesn't pack as much of a punch, and they were really just doing an overview of a bunch of philosophers' views on X. Also, while many jokes do have a philosophical viewpoint, I felt like a lot of these were stretching. It might make a better blog or something. Where you can do one joke, then the philosophy behind it. But what do I know?
Hearing it read by the authors made it a bit more irritating. Maybe it's because a lot of the jokes were lame, and it reminded me of hanging out with the old guys in the balcony from the Muppet Show. So picture those guys talking about philosophy for about 4 hours.
Well, that sounds pretty good. Stop picturing that. It wasn't that good.
I think the problem is that surface-level philosophy doesn't pack as much of a punch, and they were really just doing an overview of a bunch of philosophers' views on X. Also, while many jokes do have a philosophical viewpoint, I felt like a lot of these were stretching. It might make a better blog or something. Where you can do one joke, then the philosophy behind it. But what do I know?
Hearing it read by the authors made it a bit more irritating. Maybe it's because a lot of the jokes were lame, and it reminded me of hanging out with the old guys in the balcony from the Muppet Show. So picture those guys talking about philosophy for about 4 hours.
Well, that sounds pretty good. Stop picturing that. It wasn't that good.
blubimnotafish's review against another edition
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
3.25
diannel_04's review against another edition
Not as funny as Plato and a Platypus, probably because the subject was death.
The jokes are old and tired and it's just not funny.
The jokes are old and tired and it's just not funny.
studyvan's review against another edition
3.0
There were bits that I found interesting but ultimately it was flat and the parts weren’t woven into each other in a fluid way which made me pause a lot.