“Plato and a Platypus Walk Into a Bar – Understanding Philosophy Through Jokes”

“Plato and a Platypus Walk Into a Bar – Understanding Philosophy Through Jokes”
By: Thomas Cathcart and Daniel Klein
(http://www.amazon.com/reader/081091493X/176-8083559-8044209?%5Fencoding=UTF8&ref%5F=sib%5Fdp%5Fpt#reader)

Every student of science is aware that there are questions that only philosophy can shed light on. However, understanding the thorny philosophical issues is a painful task for many. This is where Thomas Cathcart and Daniel Klein come to help with their hilarious, yet educational book: “Plato and a Platypus Walk Into a Bar – Understanding Philosophy Through Jokes.”
The book is an introductory course to philosophy that tackles main concepts such as ethics, epistemology and logic all illustrated through jokes. The authors explain the idea behind their approach in that: “The construction and payoff of jokes and the construction and payoff of philosophical concepts are made out of the same stuff. They tease the mind in the same ways.” The book uses 143 classic jokes in ten chapters to illustrate complex philosophical concepts. It is a great source for students in particular and people in general who have difficulty figuring out what philosophy is about.
It is interesting to note that the book was rejected by 40 publishers before “Abrams Image” gave it a chance. It became an immediate best seller in many countries and was translated into 20 languages.