Really, Really Big Questions About Life, the Universe, and Everything

by Stephen Law, Nishant Choksi (Illustrations)

Have you ever looked at your dog and wondered what it is really thinking? Or asked yourself if your entire life has been a dream? Prepare to exercise your mind as you investigate these big ideas and more on the roller-coaster ride of reason and ridiculous that is philosophy. Cool illustrations, brainteasers, and quirky quotations add to the simple and fun question-and-answer format, introducting readers to life's important questions.

Genres: Philosophy, Picture Books, Nonfiction, Childrens, Science

64 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Stephen Law is a philosopher who teaches at Heythrop College in the University of London. He also edits the journal THINK, a source of philosophy aimed at the general public, affiliated with The Royal Institute of Philosophy.

Reviews

[Betsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

One Sentence Review: A perfect addition to any philosophical section of a library, and not a bad starting point for kids who wonder everything from "What happens when I die?" to "Are humans basically good or evil?"

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would like to organize my thoughts about this book. To do it justice. Because the book is certainly well-organized. It takes major philosophical questions - both the eternal ones, like "How can I tell right from wrong?" and the excruciatingly current ones, like "Did someone design the universe?" - breaks them down gently and uses accessible, often amusing analogies to go about finding the answers.

Many questions are left unanswered. Most, even, I'd say.

"How can we decide who is right about eating animals? We all agree it's wrong to kill and eat humans. But many of us think it's okay to eat other animals. And if it is okay, what's the difference between humans and other animals that makes it okay? Can you think of such a difference?"

Solid. There are a couple of areas that I would say, hmm, skirt the edges of oversimplifying. A discussion of observation and evidence avoids use of the word "experience," and I think that's because so many fallacious arguments are based on experience, even though experience is an important facet of our understanding and expectations of our world. But it would be churlish of anyone to deny this book based on such minor elisions.

Dr. Law http://stephenlaw.blogspot.com/ has something of a cottage industry in teaching philosophy to children. This his attempt to reach the youngest readers yet, and I think it succeeds.

The design integrates the text blocks, headlines, and the funny, bold, retro-contempo style cartoons in a very up-to-date way, with lots of white space and big eroded type. Well, not "white" space. Every high-tooth page is full-bleed in a different bright color. A little hard to read? Eh, a little.

Extra points for a diverse cast of characters: boys, girls, grownups, kids, white, brown, green, gray (lots of aliens - and also robots!).

See more like this on Pink Me: http://pinkme.typepad.com
Hoping to add this one to Nonfiction Monday, this week on http://bookstogether.squarespace.com/

[Geoff Battle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Big Questions shows little fear at attempting to answer, without bias, some of those really difficult to answer questions that younger children will ask. In reality, these questions are the ones asked throughout our lives, however here they are answered in a way to offer a temporary resolution for children. There are plenty of illustrations for every question to bring them to life and the pre-battered cover makes Big Questions seem like an annal of answers, passed down through the generations. Tied to Key Stages 2 and 3, Big Questions is an entertaining and educational book, it may not be extensive in content, but is not meant to be an encyclopaedia replacement. Around fifty of the biggest questions are tackled within - enough for most of us.

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have an 8-year old daughter who struggles with the big questions. How did we get here? Why are we here? What happens after we die? And so on and so on and so on. We read this together, and she really liked it. I think the thing she liked the most was understanding that other people have been attempting to answer these questions for a really long time. I told her that she is a big thinker, and a philosopher, and this introduced that concept well.

[Hiep Nguyen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really, really big questions without answers whatsoever.

[Marina · Rating 5 out of 5]

reading this as a kid and feeling a sense of dread and impending doom was a fun experience, would recommend

[Margo Tanenbaum · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written by a British professor of philosophy, this is a book on life’s big questions aimed at the junior philosophy set. The book features a lively text and a retro 1950’s cartoon-style design, that, while it doesn’t seem to have anything to do with philosophy, adds a quirky look and feel to the text. The book covers a wide range of topics ranging from the big bang, what happened before the big bang, the meaning of life, whether some people are psychic, how can we tell right from wrong, what is knowledge, and whether fairies exist. The author attempts to answer 57 separate scientific, philosophical, and moral questions, and the book also includes a glossary, an index, and suggestions for further reading. In addition, the author supplies a short list of websites to explore and “thinking tips.”

[Jill Pickle · Rating 4 out of 5]

These aren't just questions that philosophy majors in college sit around asking. You ask them, too. And since there are no "right" answers, anyone can think about them and formulate their own opinions. Some of these questions might be important to you; some of them might just be interesting to think about, like: What is it like to be a bat? FUN.

[Erroll Treslan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must have for any parent who would like to raise a freethinking child. I store our edition right beside our Taylor's Bible Story Book! BTW, the author should be commended for making philosophy accessible to a lay audience.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really liked the illustrations & use of humor...but I question quoting Jon Bon Jovi on the "Miracles" page.

[Mark Edon · Rating 4 out of 5]

OK it is for kids but most adults would benefit from this too - I did.

The disciplined way of thinking about issues gives you a hint that some philosophers do actually do some useful stuff.

[Mia Rayner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think It was awesome because it answered lots of my questions