LoveReading4Kids didn't have to think too hard when invited as the final stop on the Great Minds Blog Tour to celebrate the publication of Great Minds by Joan Haig and Joan Lennon, and stylishly illustrated by André Ducci.

Presented in graphic novel style, Great Minds is a book to inspire a new generation of thinkers and philosophers, written and illustrated by the talented team behind Talking History.

A message from the authors to their readers - What is Philosophy for? 

"Philosophy is the study of knowledge. Its name comes from Ancient Greek and means 'love of wisdom'. In fact, many people picture philosophers as wise ancient Greek men. But as this book shows, philosophers are not always ancient or Greek, and not always men. Philosophy is for everyone - for us and for you.

Philosophers ask questions, think through teh answer, and explore the best ways of doing both these things. When you read the questions here you might say, 'I've wondered about that too!' or sometimes you might say 'I never thought of that! That's interesting..!' If so, that means you are a philosopher too."

Covering the last 3000 years, Great Minds presents twenty brilliant thinkers, and their unique ideas that changed the world. 

Our expert reviewer, Andrea Reece, found out more...

‘What’s philosophy for?’, asks this large format, stylishly illustrated information book; and it comes to the conclusion that it’s a tool to change the world. Over its 60+ pages, we are introduced to the philosophers who have shaped the way we think.

First up is Confucius and his exploration of what makes a good person; from there, we meet the ancient Greek philosophers, Socrates, Aristotle and Plato; then the focus moves to the Islamic world and thinkers such as Ibn Rushd, probably less well known to general readers in the UK, but hugely important (a panel explains Ibn Rushd’s influence on those who took part in the Arab Spring for example).

The book continues to follow a timeline while ranging across the world, the connection between philosophers from different cultures and civilisations made clear and it demonstrates how ideas formed hundreds or even thousands of years ago are still influencing the way people think today.

The final sections bring us right up to date with Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw, the Black American thinker who developed critical race theory and the framework for intersectionality. It’s a fascinating and thought-provoking book, and with the world facing so many critical moral issues a really important one to share with young people.

You can take a peek inside Great Minds here, and the book is available to purchase now - buy from our bookstore, get 10% off the RRP and 25% of the cover price will be given to a school of your choice to buy more books.