Plato's Shadow: A Primer on Plato

by Neel Burton

This book provides the student and general reader with a comprehensive overview of Plato's thought. It includes an introduction to the life and times of Plato and a precis of each of his dialogues, amongst which the Apology, Laches, Gorgias, Symposium, Phaedrus, Phaedo, Meno, Timaeus, Theaetetus, Republic, and 18 others.

Genres: Philosophy

250 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2009

About the author

Dr Neel Burton is a psychiatrist, philosopher, and wine-lover who lives and teaches in Oxford, England. He is a Fellow of Green-Templeton College in the University of Oxford, and the winner of several book prizes including, the feather in his cap, a Best in the World Gourmand Award. His work features regularly in the likes of Aeon and Psychology Today and has been translated into several languages. When he is not reading or writing, or imbibing, he enjoys cooking, gardening, skiing, learning languages, visiting museums and gardens, and travelling, especially to wine regions.

His books include:

- The Meaning of Myth (Ancient Wisdom 1)
- Stoic Stories (Ancient Wisdom 2)
- The Gang of Three: Socrates, Plato, Aristotle (Ancient Wisdom 3)
- The Meaning of Madness (Ataraxia 1)
- Hide and Seek: The Psychology of Self-Deception (Ataraxia 2)
- Heaven and Hell: The Psychology of the Emotions (Ataraxia 3)

www.neelburton.com

Reviews

[C. Varn · Rating 3 out of 5]

While it goes with an excellent biographical sketch of Plato, it is exactly what it reads as on the cover, a primer. It glosses all the dialogues and major works, although without a ton of contextual or speculative scholarly information, and as such as little of Burton's personality or insight. It's hard to fault a book for being exactly what it says it is, but a large part of this is only slightly more comprehensive than reading an encyclopedia synopsis.