HoPWaG the book

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I've been working away at revising/re-writing the scripts from the Presocratics up to the students of Plato and Aristotle. This will be the first volume of a projected series of books based on the podcast. I'm a bit nervous as to whether the somewhat chatty tone will work as well in a book. (Um, that's assuming it works in the podcast... but I think it's reasonable to assume it's easier to get away with it in audio). Still I hope it will fill a gap, so to speak, by providing a book that is comprehensive but accessible. If anyone has any suggestions for the book version it would be very welcome.

David Tanner on 18 December 2012

I for one will pre-order it

I for one will pre-order it on Amazon :-)

Sue Pattinson on 18 December 2012

Hi Peter, As an avid listener

Hi Peter,

As an avid listener to this wonderful program, i always hoped that a transcript would be available...and now, a book, yippee. I cant wait!!

regards and best wishes

sue

Peter Adamson on 18 December 2012

Thanks to both of you! I'll

Thanks to both of you! I'll let the press know that they will be able to sell at least two copies. By the way the reason I have never posted a transcript was not because I anticipated the book version (it didn't occur to me until later) but mostly because I was worried that students (I use the word loosely) might use the scripts as a basis for plagiarizing essays. I guess they could still type out what I'm saying but then it would be less work just to write an essay oneself, I hope!

Robert on 20 December 2012

Dear Peter, You didn't

Dear Peter,

You didn't mention in the post anything about including the interviews. They add interesting perspectives on your prepared scripts and are very enjoyable. Including them might require much more editing than is necessary for the scripts as well as a review by the philosopher interviewed, but they might be a valuable addition. With or without the interviews, the book sounds good though.

Thanks.

Peter Adamson on 20 December 2012

Yes, I thought about that a

Yes, I thought about that a bit but decided that not only would this be a lot of work, but the various colleagues I had on didn't sign up for having their spontaneous remarks published later on! So it will be just the scripted episodes I'm afraid. (Actually a lot of the fun of the interviews, I always think, is hearing the voices and speaking style of these wonderful scholars, so that would be lost in translation anyway.)

Andrew on 21 December 2012

Hi Peter Just wanted to say

Hi Peter

Just wanted to say thank you for the podcasts. I'm very much a lay person when it comes to philosophy and get an enormous amount out of listening. Rest assured your chatty style is well received by at least one listener and feel free to let the publishers know there will be a minimum of three copies sold. I may even buy one as a gift, so possibly four. I do hope the front cover is illustrated with an artist's depiction of the Form of Buster Keaton riding a giraffe.

Andrew

Ziad El-Hady on 24 December 2012

Loving the chatty style. I

Loving the chatty style.

I mean, even if you have to adjust bits here and there for the text, I would hope you can remain inclined towards everyday language. Filling the gaps in a single presentation of the history of philosophy is a great endevour, but filling the gaps in terms of who can access that presentation is even more praiseworthy. I believe you are in the unique position of having both the intelligence and social skills to do this.

And please keep the jokes in :)

Ziad

Peter Adamson on 27 December 2012

Hi Ziad,Thanks! To be honest

Hi Ziad,

Thanks! To be honest I think eliminating the chattiness would be impossible, it is too deeply woven into the prose (well, I'd have to rewrite it completely). As for jokes, if anything I'm trying to add some for the book version...

Cheerio,

Peter

JPlat on 1 January 2013

Peter, This site is a

Peter,

This site is a wonderful resource. Thank you so much for providing it. I took a course in political philosophy over the summer from the Oxford Department of Continuing Education. Highly recommended if any on this site is interested. I did the course online as I'm based in the U.S.

Just looking to connect with others who are interested in discussing philosophy.

Best,

Jason

Andrew on 4 January 2013

Hi Peter, I've been looking

Hi Peter,

I've been looking forward to this book since you first mentioned it - great to hear that it's still on the cards.

If I can offer any input as a non-college educated layperson, who came to your podcast with hardly any knowledge of Philosophy at all, is that I think your conversational style would be matched well with visual aids rather than a book of pure prose. I know I'd have found this less intimidating as a beginner.

I came across a book called The Story of Philosophy (ISBN-13 978-0857385642) a few days ago, which had just the sort of visual style I was hoping for in your book.

So please pack it full of maps, busts, paintings etc!

Andrew

Peter Adamson on 4 January 2013

HI Andrew,Thanks, that's very

HI Andrew,

Thanks, that's very useful - I had definitely thought of having a map but you're probably right, the more images the better. Of course images (especially color ones) are expensive, and would make the price of the book go up potentially. But I'll talk to the Press about it.

Thanks!

Peter

Janell on 24 January 2013

Hi Andrew, I tried to find

Hi Andrew,

I tried to find The Story of Philosophy ISBN-13 978-0857385642 for my son. Do you recall the publisher or editor?

Janell

Omar Ali-de-Unzaga on 23 January 2013

Let me be a bit Skeptic about

Let me be a bit Skeptic about the written version. I also tend to be Socratic when it comes to writing vs oral delivery. Platonically speaking one of the best features you have is your Dialogues with your guests. The good thing about the informal style is that is it Emanates orality. I also like your Confessions....

By the way, for the printed version: a good thing to look at when it comes to images is Giovanni Reale & Dario Antiseri, Storia della Filosofia: Dalle Origini a Oggi. It's based on older editions but the edition I have (MIlan: Bompiani, 2008) 14 vols. , is full of very nice and numerous illustrations (it came with the Corriere della Sera newspaper in Milan).
Just an idea...

Peter Adamson on 24 January 2013

Hi Omar,That's great, thanks!

Hi Omar,

That's great, thanks! I agree about dialogue, that's one reason I include the interviews in the series actually. Plato would probably be very disappointed in my publishing the book version... but maybe he'd like the pictures? No, I guess not, he wasn't a fan of images either. But seriously -- that book is a good tip especially since they must have got the rights to the pictures somehowwhich shows it can be done in those cases.

Thanks!

Peter

Garry on 16 March 2013

Plagiarism check plays the

Plagiarism check plays the role of free Turnitin as it resembles the paid software in almost every aspect accept that Plag Tracker is available free for the users.

Aron on 29 March 2013

Hi Professor Peter, If I have

Hi Professor Peter,

If I have any suggestions for the books, (my background is a student of philosophy) it's that if you can, then please include everything (without any gaps!). Also an exhaustive index and bibliography would be nice. And how are the topics going to be split up, will it be a Copleston-esque categorisation of the different systems and topics for each philosopher/epoch of philosophers?

And personally I prefer books to be more straight to the point and textbook like, but that is only a personal preference! Although I really enjoy the chatty style of the podcasts!

Regards,
Aron

Peter Adamson on 29 March 2013

Hi Aron,Thanks - it will

Hi Aron,

Thanks - it will indeed have a bibliography, which is basically a gathering together of the further readings suggested here on the website. And of course an index.

The first volume will cover what is here "Classical" philosophy i.e. up to the students of Plato and Aristotle, and the next one should be Hellenistic and Late Antiquity including the Christians. Volume 3, someday, would be philosophy in the Islamic world.

Thanks!

Peter

Malcolm on 14 April 2013

I will order the whole set

I will order the whole set inshallah

Ondřej on 17 June 2013

Sign me up for the hardcover

Sign me up for the hardcover edition, please.
Thanks, and I hope so see (or hear) much more in the future from this fine project.

Greetings from the czeck republic
Ondřej

Charles on 24 June 2013

This series will become a

This series will become a collector's item in hardback.

sobia saleem on 26 January 2021

Ecopy

Dear Peter

I'm so glad that someone is doing such a wonderful job. Im just a self learner and you have no idea how amazing it is to have the access to this podcast.it THE BEST so far in my list.

I can't wait to get the book I'm sure it will be as wonderful as it sounds (no pun intended:D) it is really helpful for my understanding as English is a third language for me and sometimes i don't follow some words even comprehension is not effective much but still...

I want to request that there should be soft copy as not everyone has the luxury of getting foreign books.

Keep philosophy alive 

Regards 

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