Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar...: Understanding Philosophy through Jokes

Delightfully Humorous

I chuckled my way through this book. Anyone who believes philosophy is dull and better relegated to the musty halls of the previous century will be both surprised and delighted by Plato and a Platypus Walk Into A Bar. The book opens with a quotation from Groucho Marx, thus setting the tone for the future!

What follows is a delightful comparison of age-old philosophy from various schools of thought worldwide to today's modern, confusing and often downright hilarious world. Included in the book are humorous cartoons from several artists, a glossary of philosophical terms and a timeline of great moments in the history of philosophy. I laughed and I learned a bundle. Plato and a Platypus Walk Into A Bar is a must for every librarian, scholar, student, professor or New Age theorist who ever blinked up at the bright sun and quietly asked the question, "Why?" Good for general reading and, in my humble opinion, a most worthy addition to one's permanent library.

8 out of 8 people found this review helpful.

Great Bathroom Read

If you're buying a book about Plato and a platypus, chances are, you don't need a read course on philosophy. I think this book is equally entertaining for academics who need basic references in philosophy as well as those who enjoy tidbits of half-witted jokes to understand complicated ideals like existentialism.
The book is divided up into easy-to-understand sections, but I would not call this an authoritative text on philosophy. It's sometimes funny, sometimes interesting, and sometimes worth a minute or two. I think it's a perfect book for the bathroom, to be honest. I would not sit down and read this book all in one sitting and it's not Cliff Notes for those being tested on philosophy. But if you want something conversational, entertaining, and hate subscribing to magazines, this book is for you.
Buy it for your professor in the humanities, buy it for a student who could use a little help in the area, buy it for someone who reads the New York Times but not the New Yorker.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Funny and Enlightening

I took a philosophy class in college and fell asleep almost everyday but always regretted not understanding philosophical ideas that are common place. This book explained them in a fun and interesting way that was not only comprehensible but did a pretty good job of keeping me awake. It's probably not the best book for someone who's already a philosophy expert but for someone who is just trying to figure it out, it's a good choice. Also, the jokes are pretty funny at times.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

A very entertaining and enjoyable read

I loved reading this book- it was funny; I laughed at least once per page.
I read a few pages over several sittings, so perhaps that accounts for my feeling of not having actually learned all that much about philosophy, but I would recommend it to everyone looking for some entertainment, and I would still recommend it to someone who is on the prowl for some clarification of philosophic concepts, for they may have far better luck than I did!

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Great Book!

I am not presently reading this book perse but my boyfriend is, right next to me and laughing out loud on almost every page. So no, I'm not reading it but I am having the hilarious jokes read to me minute by minute. I will read the book when he is done but I feel like I am already involved. What a hilarious and wonderous little collection of insights and explinations this book has - I feel very secure reviewing it as yes indeed I have heard almost every one!

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

A rabbi, a priest,...

These guys are hysterical; I'd love to hear them do a regular podcast. A philosophical version on "Things you missed in history class". I don't know how much I really learned but I had a great time doing it!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Entertaining read

This book was an entertaining read on a boring subject. I found it funny and very pertinent.

1 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Fun introduction to Western philosophy

I'm just far enough away from the philosophy classes I took in college that I don't really want to delve into individual works by each philosopher, but I'm still just as fascinated by and interested in their ideas as I ever was. What, then, to do? Pick up Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar, of course! It was just as amusing as I'd hoped, and a rather surprisingly adept and lucid presentation of many of the main ideas throughout the history of philosophy. I would've appreciated a bit more information on Eastern philosophy and the ideas behind feminism, but this slim volume does an excellent job of presenting philosophy as encountered by those in the authors'---and my own---day-to-day Western existence.

This is funny because it explains many philosophers

I quoted the authors in a paper in a philosophy class

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Perfect for Philosophy Beginners

This book was great. First of all, it is easy to understand and covers the main ideas of many philosophies. It gives a broad understanding of the many different types of theories and thoughts out there. Second, it is sarcastic and funny so that even beginners can understand it and enjoy it. It's captivating so that you wont want to put it down (I read it while I was on vacation in Venice haha) I'm a student and it really gave me a solid base on my quest to learn philosophical principles. This book was on my wish list for a while and I am not disappointed that I finally bought and read it.

Good idea

This was an amazing idea- use jokes to convey the ideas of great philosophers. I don't know how they compiled all of them, but the result is a brilliant collection of funnies that plunge the reader into concepts of metaphysics, religion, ethics, language- there's a great paraphrase in the language part about why the questions in philosophy are so confusing- it's because they use confusing language (interesting points elaborated on in "Everyone Agrees").

That really gets to the point- jokes are instant ways to conjoin two disperate ideas-just like philosophy. "Getting" a joke is much like "getting" philosophy and that's why this book is so brilliant and useful.

Interesting book on subject without major interest

The book reviews and briefly explains some terms and conceps of philosophy , illustrating them with jokes - often quite old ones. Well, some of the philosophical stuff is so arcane that it is difficult to understand even in this way... Book is easy and funny to read - but after having read it I define philosophy as ' the thoughts and knowledge which doesn't have any significance in real life', so , IMHO, you'll not suffer if you don't read this book.

Great Intro Book

I got this book for myself because it looked like a fun way to learn about philosophy. I was not dissapointed. My surprise came when my 10 year old read it and loved it as well. Although, I do not think he got all of the concepts he loved all the jokes. He has gone on to share the book with his teachers at school.

Funny, but offensive

This book is an excellent introduction-to-philosophy book. The chapters are broken down into the most basic components, explaining each with enough detail to keep one's attention, but without the complexity that may cause the average reader to put down. Take out the occasional cursing, lewd jokes, and some negative connotations towards God 'which do offend me personally' and this book would receive five stars.

A reviewer

Philosophical conversationalists, Dimitri and Tasso, have been ordained by Cathcart and Klein to guide us through a brilliantly written tome-free survey of philosophy as viewed through the lens of a 21st century skeptic. Plato and a Platypus opens the doors to the various schools of philosophy employing whimsical contemporary illustrations that at once surprise and inform the reader. There are startlingly delightful cartoons, too. Each page offers up an intro to a serious speech, an ice-breaker for a cocktail party, or an intellectual game for a baby shower. The reader is at once compelled to both keep reading and to cut away to share a passage with a friend. (That¿s what literate people do when tweaked--they read to one another. I suggest it be limited to people over the age of 6, though my 5-year-old grandson became intrigued when I shared a tongue-in-cheek segment.) Yet, this book is far from one big joke. It is a scholarly work, complete with timeline and glossary, both of which are laced with humor that belie the academic content. It would be a rational text for many a college class. Critical thinking comes to mind. So do religion, ethics, math, logic, pragmatism, and English composition. If you buy one, buy two. This little reader is the perfect gift book for celebrations and simple pleasures. It is ideal for the friendly neighborhood philosopher. It is also a fine open-anywhere for moments when you want to think deeply without the weight of war or taxes. It is a definite buy and keep book. Highly recommended.

A reviewer

This is a really hilarious read about the various concepts in philosophy like empiricism, essentialism, rationalism, existentialism,deductive logic, inductive logic, and many others - all explained in a very humorous manner with the help of jokes drawn from various sources.

Groucho Marx Would Love It!

Who would have thought humor and philosophy could come together in such a wonderfully readable and understandable fashion. It should be required for all college philosophy courses. Warning: Don't read the jokes first!

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