Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar... Understanding Philosophy Through Jokes by Thomas Cathcart & Daniel Klein

Available as a book or audio CD. 2007.

And now for something completely different - no not Monty Python, but a small quirky book that teaches philosophy through jokes. The authors of Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar, call Groucho Marx their philosophical grandfather and use jokes to illustrate the vagaries of philosophical thought.

One of the wonderful things about being a librarian is the chance to come across material you might never have looked for or even noticed on the shelves, but somehow it comes into your hands and suddenly you are reading something you didn't expect to read. I took this home for my husband who read it twice he enjoyed it so much, and who recommended it to friends. Then I read it. It is a long time since either of us studied philosophy, and this was a great refresher. It is not difficult to read, the jokes are funny and truly act as illustrations of the topics. If you can't remember what Kant or Sartre or Descartes said, why Sherlock Holmes never used deduction, or what Platonic Virtue is, here is your chance to find out. If you want something to tease your brain and give you a laugh at the same time, give this book a try.

The authors majored in philosophy at Harvard, pursued their careers, appeared on NPR's Weekend Edition, and their book became a New York Times Bestseller.

They also wrote Aristotle and an Aardvark Go to Washington, taking world leaders and politicians to task while deconstructing their quotes.