Great Philosophers

August 1, 2013

Gr 8 Up-These titles offer concise yet full biographies. Leaders devotes a spread to each of the 54 subjects introduced; they are organized more or less chronologically within the sections: "Statemen," "Military Commanders," "Reformers," "National Liberators," and "Revolutionaries." However, the chronology falls down in the section on liberators, which goes from Mahatma Gandhi to Nelson Mandela followed by Shaka Zulu and Aung San Suu Kyi. In Stangroom and Garvey's volume, 29 philosophers are introduced in four-page, information-laden entries. Sidebars emphasize the subjects' works. In both books, a photograph or a portrait reproduction of each subject starts off the entry. Further photos and illustrations add flavor to the dense text. Obscure figures such as Emmeline Pankhurst, militant British women's suffragette, and William James, founder of pragmatism, mix in with better-known figures such as Thomas Jefferson and Socrates. Overall, while brief, these titles are good starting points for report writers.-Anne Chapman Callaghan, Racine Public Library, WI

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