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Liber Historica
The Philosophers' Library: Books That Shaped the World
The Philosophers' Library features the most important philosophy manuscripts and books as stepping stones to take your through the history of philosophy.
By cataloguing the history of philosophy via its key works, this book reflects the physical results of human thinking and endeavour; brilliant thought manifested in titles that literally changed the course of knowledge, sometimes by increments, and sometimes with revolutionary impact.
This is a unique book of books, all as beautiful as they are important, whether they be ancient, modern or those in-between. Eye-catching antique fonts on leather covers, inked illustrations on vellum, and inspiring graphics on well-worn jackets draw the reader in.
Each book is detailed with publication date and title, the author is described, his or her key work outlined, and its context highlighted. The text brings these books as artefacts to life, telling the story of what philosophy was and is, how it appeared and when
By cataloguing the history of philosophy via its key works, this book reflects the physical results of human thinking and endeavour; brilliant thought manifested in titles that literally changed the course of knowledge, sometimes by increments, and sometimes with revolutionary impact.
This is a unique book of books, all as beautiful as they are important, whether they be ancient, modern or those in-between. Eye-catching antique fonts on leather covers, inked illustrations on vellum, and inspiring graphics on well-worn jackets draw the reader in.
Each book is detailed with publication date and title, the author is described, his or her key work outlined, and its context highlighted. The text brings these books as artefacts to life, telling the story of what philosophy was and is, how it appeared and when
272 pages, Hardcover
First published October 12, 2021
8 people are currently reading
149 people want to read
About the author
Adam Ferner
15 books6 followersDr Adam Ferner has worked in academic philosophy both in France and the UK, but much prefers working outside the academy in youth centres and other alternative learning spaces.
He has published widely in philosophical and popular journals and has written four books, Organisms and Personal Identity (Routledge, 2016), Think Differently (Aurum, 2018) and – with Nadia Mehdi and Zara Bain – Crash Course: Philosophy (Ivy, 2019). His fourth book, How to Disagree (Aurum, 2019) is co-authored with Darren Chetty. He is currently co-writing his fifth book, Philosophical Empires, with Chris Meyns, forthcoming in 2020.
He is an associate editor of the Forum’s Essays. He is interested in co-authoring and writing collaborations where credit for intellectual labour is apportioned fairly and appropriately remunerated. With this in mind that he set up the Changelings writing group at a youth hub in Finsbury Park.
He has published widely in philosophical and popular journals and has written four books, Organisms and Personal Identity (Routledge, 2016), Think Differently (Aurum, 2018) and – with Nadia Mehdi and Zara Bain – Crash Course: Philosophy (Ivy, 2019). His fourth book, How to Disagree (Aurum, 2019) is co-authored with Darren Chetty. He is currently co-writing his fifth book, Philosophical Empires, with Chris Meyns, forthcoming in 2020.
He is an associate editor of the Forum’s Essays. He is interested in co-authoring and writing collaborations where credit for intellectual labour is apportioned fairly and appropriately remunerated. With this in mind that he set up the Changelings writing group at a youth hub in Finsbury Park.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
November 26, 2021
I read this book, full of fantastic illustrations, almost as if to complete my collection of information about books (always in flux) to which Papyrus had just been added. Although in this volume the organization is much more schematic and follows a different order, in the end it is always on the same topic that I love above all others: books.
Ho letto questo libro, pieno di fantastiche illustrazioni, quasi come a completamento della mia raccolta di informazioni sui libri (sempre in divenire) a cui si era appena aggiunto Papyrus. Per quanto in questo volume l'organizzazione sia decisamente piú schematica e segue un ordine diverso, alla fine é sempre sullo stesso argomento che amo sopra ogni altro: i libri.
I received from the Publisher a complimentary digital advanced review copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.
Ho letto questo libro, pieno di fantastiche illustrazioni, quasi come a completamento della mia raccolta di informazioni sui libri (sempre in divenire) a cui si era appena aggiunto Papyrus. Per quanto in questo volume l'organizzazione sia decisamente piú schematica e segue un ordine diverso, alla fine é sempre sullo stesso argomento che amo sopra ogni altro: i libri.
I received from the Publisher a complimentary digital advanced review copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.
February 26, 2022
I think this will become my favourite book for 2022, and perhaps even my favourite philosophy book ever. Just finished my first reading, but will be sure to revisit.
January 26, 2022
I'm not a good philosopher but I am very interested in philosophy. I love seeing the different trends of thoughts emerging and fading away, the way some ideas get picked up again decades, even centuries, later. The Philosophers' Library is a great introduction to some of the major publications in philosophy, spanning centuries. Thanks to Quarto Publishing, Ivy Press and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Philosophy is not the province of just one region or one group of people. Humans have wondered about the meaning of life, the way nature works, etc. for millennia. What is really beautiful about The Philosophers' Library is how Ferner and Meyns do their best to not just highlight philosophy texts that have received less attention so far, but also to make clear their own blind spots. Whether it is commenting on the lack of available translations of Ethiopian texts, preventing them from discussing it, or discussing the way in which imperialism crucially influenced philosophy, Ferner and Meyns do not hide away from the underbelly of philosophy. Contemplating the nature of life can be difficult, but I found that reading a few chapters here or there and taking the time to let them sink in was a very valuable experience.
Covering the entire history of philosophy is a daunting task. There is just... so much of it. We get the Indian Vedas, the long history of Ruist thought in China, the flourishing of philosophy in Iraq, the influence of Christianity upon Western thought, the role of imperialism, the rise of women's rights, and the threads of antisemitism and racism running through centuries of philosophy. The book is split into clear time periods, which don't necessarily fall along the expects time periods like "Antiquity" or "the Middle Ages". Alongside the history, we get beautiful images of the key texts representing these movements. I loved seeing the manuscripts of the Vedas, for example, or the earliest editions of Marx' Das Kapital. For me, reading The Philosophers' Library, was more about the history of philosophy, with the images being more of an enhancement than the core of the book itself, even if the blurb makes these images sound like the key point. I did very much enjoy the final chapter discussing the current state and potential future of philosophy and how they highlighted the way in with the Internet and social media has made philosophy more accessible. (Shout out to the History of Philosophy Without Gaps podcast!)
Ferner and Meyns do a great job at discussing a very wide variety of schools of thoughts. Philosophy can be very intimidating, especially as it gets ever more specialized or esoteric. Ferner and Meyns ground the reader with clear explanations and by connecting thoughts across time. The division of time periods is explained very clearly and I felt guided. As mentioned above, I was also very impressed by the way Ferner and Meyns take a role in the book. They highlight the downsides of their own Western education, the difficulty in accessing certain texts, and the ways in which many group were gatekept out of the philosophic community. It makes The Philosophers' Library a very modern book, one that is comfortable addressing difficult topics and asking hard questions. One downside came at the start for me, however. The Introduction starts off with a discussion of book burning, which felt a bit odd. While technically it is relevant, as it brings up discussions of which books are allowed, the power of books, the power of ideas, etc., it never once becomes relevant in the book itself. It felt like a topical hook upon which to hang the book, yet it wasn't relevant to the heart of the book itself. I definitely felt like I learned a lot by reading The Philosophers' Library and I can't wait to personally engage with some of the texts discussed.
While The Philosophers' Library does require you to already be a least a little bit interested in philosophy, it is nonetheless a great introduction full of stunning illustrations and useful guidance.
URL: https://universeinwords.blogspot.com/...
Philosophy is not the province of just one region or one group of people. Humans have wondered about the meaning of life, the way nature works, etc. for millennia. What is really beautiful about The Philosophers' Library is how Ferner and Meyns do their best to not just highlight philosophy texts that have received less attention so far, but also to make clear their own blind spots. Whether it is commenting on the lack of available translations of Ethiopian texts, preventing them from discussing it, or discussing the way in which imperialism crucially influenced philosophy, Ferner and Meyns do not hide away from the underbelly of philosophy. Contemplating the nature of life can be difficult, but I found that reading a few chapters here or there and taking the time to let them sink in was a very valuable experience.
Covering the entire history of philosophy is a daunting task. There is just... so much of it. We get the Indian Vedas, the long history of Ruist thought in China, the flourishing of philosophy in Iraq, the influence of Christianity upon Western thought, the role of imperialism, the rise of women's rights, and the threads of antisemitism and racism running through centuries of philosophy. The book is split into clear time periods, which don't necessarily fall along the expects time periods like "Antiquity" or "the Middle Ages". Alongside the history, we get beautiful images of the key texts representing these movements. I loved seeing the manuscripts of the Vedas, for example, or the earliest editions of Marx' Das Kapital. For me, reading The Philosophers' Library, was more about the history of philosophy, with the images being more of an enhancement than the core of the book itself, even if the blurb makes these images sound like the key point. I did very much enjoy the final chapter discussing the current state and potential future of philosophy and how they highlighted the way in with the Internet and social media has made philosophy more accessible. (Shout out to the History of Philosophy Without Gaps podcast!)
Ferner and Meyns do a great job at discussing a very wide variety of schools of thoughts. Philosophy can be very intimidating, especially as it gets ever more specialized or esoteric. Ferner and Meyns ground the reader with clear explanations and by connecting thoughts across time. The division of time periods is explained very clearly and I felt guided. As mentioned above, I was also very impressed by the way Ferner and Meyns take a role in the book. They highlight the downsides of their own Western education, the difficulty in accessing certain texts, and the ways in which many group were gatekept out of the philosophic community. It makes The Philosophers' Library a very modern book, one that is comfortable addressing difficult topics and asking hard questions. One downside came at the start for me, however. The Introduction starts off with a discussion of book burning, which felt a bit odd. While technically it is relevant, as it brings up discussions of which books are allowed, the power of books, the power of ideas, etc., it never once becomes relevant in the book itself. It felt like a topical hook upon which to hang the book, yet it wasn't relevant to the heart of the book itself. I definitely felt like I learned a lot by reading The Philosophers' Library and I can't wait to personally engage with some of the texts discussed.
While The Philosophers' Library does require you to already be a least a little bit interested in philosophy, it is nonetheless a great introduction full of stunning illustrations and useful guidance.
URL: https://universeinwords.blogspot.com/...
July 25, 2022
Klar strukturiertes und sehr gut lesbares Buch über Bücher aus allen Teilen der Welt. Hochinformativ und außerordentlich lehrreich. Neben den guten Texten finden sich viele Autorenporträts und Abbildungen aus den vorgestellten Büchern sowie von deren Covern.
Klare Leseempfehlung!
Klare Leseempfehlung!
January 13, 2023
This was a lovely book to explore philosophy and some of the great minds that have emerged over history.
I loved the set out and illustrations in the book. Having a limited knowledge on this topic, this was a great book to dip in and out of.
Thank you Quatro and NetGalley for the ARC .
I loved the set out and illustrations in the book. Having a limited knowledge on this topic, this was a great book to dip in and out of.
Thank you Quatro and NetGalley for the ARC .
August 24, 2025
Interesting and a good mix of facts and analysis
December 23, 2021
The Philosophers' Library by Adam Ferner and Chris Meyns is an attractive overview of the texts that have influenced human thought throughout history.
This is not meant to dwell so much on the nuance of the any specific text or period but rather to place the journey we have been on in context. The works cited were and are essential texts for those who want to study philosophy, my introduction to many of them was during my undergraduate degree in philosophy. But this volume is meant for the casual reader. It explains very broadly what a thinker or school of thought put forward, contextualizing it against both what it was responding to as well as what it influenced going forward.
The book itself is quite attractive and easy on the eyes. If you're like me you recognized not just the titles but, in some cases, the actual edition you might have owned of some of the more recent books. Well, recent as in the past century or so.
I would recommend this to bibliophiles first and foremost with those who enjoy philosophy a close second. Because the text isn't even remotely academic it will be good for those who just want a glimpse at the works that have shaped our thinking over time. While there isn't anything new for those who have read many of these works there is still a lot to be gained from remembering the big picture. We can often get bogged down in our specialties and forget that the world is much larger than our little area of debate. This book illustrates that world wonderfully.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
This is not meant to dwell so much on the nuance of the any specific text or period but rather to place the journey we have been on in context. The works cited were and are essential texts for those who want to study philosophy, my introduction to many of them was during my undergraduate degree in philosophy. But this volume is meant for the casual reader. It explains very broadly what a thinker or school of thought put forward, contextualizing it against both what it was responding to as well as what it influenced going forward.
The book itself is quite attractive and easy on the eyes. If you're like me you recognized not just the titles but, in some cases, the actual edition you might have owned of some of the more recent books. Well, recent as in the past century or so.
I would recommend this to bibliophiles first and foremost with those who enjoy philosophy a close second. Because the text isn't even remotely academic it will be good for those who just want a glimpse at the works that have shaped our thinking over time. While there isn't anything new for those who have read many of these works there is still a lot to be gained from remembering the big picture. We can often get bogged down in our specialties and forget that the world is much larger than our little area of debate. This book illustrates that world wonderfully.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
July 9, 2025
A fabulous book. The illustrations in the first sections that covers ancient philosophies and ways of thinking are glimpses into books that an ordinary reader might never otherwise see; papyruses and codexes from a thousand years ago, and the renaissance illuminated manuscripts that rescued knowledge in the 14th and 15th centuries. The narrative is one of the importance of books to create and share knowledge, but also of the way philosophy has developed differently in different parts of the world over time, so that the western tradition does not dominate the book, and the voices of women at each stage of history are given the importance denied to them in previous ages. The decolonial philosophies of the twentieth century are really well considered for their social and historical importance - something that is often missing from western academic philosophical texts. Highly recommended. I will definitely be rereading this one.
December 22, 2021
A fascinating book on philosophy and the very varied people who put forward their thoughts. This is well written and researched with a light touch. Accessible for anyone I terested in the subject and also useful as a raster for philosophy students Grateful thanks to Netgalley, the publishers and the authors for a great read.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews