Aristotle for Everybody: Difficult Thought Made Easy

I bought this book mainly because I was interested in Aristotle's view on happiness and good life. These subjects are treated in part III of this book. I think Mr Adler managed to clearly explain ideas that Aristotle had on universal human needs, their hierarchy and means for a good life. I also liked Part IV where Mr Adler talks about knowledge, truth, its levels and the ways of establishing it. I think this is a very important subject for ability to think critically and which is often overlooked in secondary schools (and even in colleges). I liked the three directions that human mind can take explained in chapter 3 - human as a Maker who deals with Art, human as a Doer who deals with Justice and human as a Knower who deals with Truth. This is a helpful way to group the multitude of activities that a person can do today. As always, Mr Adler has a very clear way of writing, making his main terms, paragraphs and chapters very understandable.

This was one of the books required for my Engineering Ethics class when I was in school. Thankfully, it is not as dense as a philosophy book would be, but it does distill Aristotle's teachings into very easily digestible parts. The book is pretty short (at least when compared to a textbook), just under 200 pages, and while I would not say it is as quick a read as a novel, it is not so dense that it takes a long time to get through. I think many people will get the book because it is required for a class, but it is something that someone who is just interested in philosophy without getting too bogged down in the material could enjoy reading.

Adler's introduction to Aristotle is a must read for anyone interested in beginning to appreciate one of the most influential thinkers of all time. This is written for the general public, and it succeeds marvelously at what it sets out to do (although, for those wanting go deeper, the author includes a second table of contents at the end, with detailed references to original sources). The book covers the major aspects of Aristotle's thought, from his understanding of causality to his ethics, from his discussions of what it means to lead a good life to his concept of god. I found the organization of the book in broad sections, each further subdivided into bite size chapters, very easy on the reader, as it should be. Inevitably, different people will find different parts of the book more engaging than others. In my case I have a preference for Adler's discussion of Aristotle's four causes (early in the book) and how it explains the philosopher's thinking about god as prime mover of the universe (later in the volume). Particularly insightful is Adler's discussion of the difference between the Aristotelian and the Christian conceptions of god. The author strove to avoid technical language, which is admirable in this sort of books. Still, I wish he had left in a few particularly useful Greek words, especially "eudaimonia" (which simply does not translate to the English "happiness") and "akrasia" (weakness of the will). Regardless, a very good choice to get your feet wet in the area of ancient Greek philosophy, or indeed of philosophy more generally.

I am a graduate student taking a course on Ethics and Catholic Moral Theology. I read Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle before reading this and was completely lost. This book was a huge help in understanding Aristotle’s writings. I actually would recommend this as a starting place if you are entering a course on Ethics.

Loved this book in college. Informative and an easy Aristotle read. Gave it to my brother to read while on his way to Argentina.

For a long time, I thought I could get away with understanding Aristotle by oblique references from more modern thinkers and frequent trips to philosophy encyclopedias: I kept hearing how obsolete Aristotle's thinking is now considered to be in this day and age. Fortunately, I learned my lesson and finally examined him thoroughly with the much-welcomed help of someone who actually knows what he's talking about. Make no mistake, the concepts Mortimer Adler covers in this wonderful little book cannot be understood passively and haphazardly, but if you're looking for a clear-eyed and sober commentary on ideas that will undoubtably augment your ability to reason, this work is fantastic. I'd recommend keeping pencil and paper close by while you're reading, as that helped me visualize a lot of the content.

Aristotle for Everybody covers the main elements of Aristotle's philosophy condensed into a straightforward overview. Adler covers all the basics expanding the attitude and thought process of Aristotle into extremely simplified explanations. Adler's work, despite seemingly noble intentions, accomplishes simplicity at the expense of substance. Adler spoke early of naming this book "Aristotle for Children" instead of its current title and he indubitably would have been better served had he stuck with his first instinct. This book may be of value to early students and teens looking for an introduction to Aristotle, yet even then one might still be better served merely checking Wikipedia, which offers a similar level of stimulation. Adler is capable and adequately grasps the material, yet for any philosophy enthusiast this book will prove to be far too restrained, essentially only skimming the surface of Aristotle's weighty philosophy.. If you desire to dive into Aristotle but are not yet committed to his full works, I suggest examining some of the cliff notes available that provide better and more pensive discussion on his thoughts yet still maintain a sense of brevity.

I have made several runs at Aristotle (trying to understand him), but they all failed until I got this book. At last, I am beginning to understand Aristotle's idea of the "formal cause," which comes along with his set of four causes. For example, I pick Michelangelo's statue of David. The "material cause" (strange wording) is: marble. The "efficient cause" is: Michelangelo. The "formal cause" is: (here difficulties arise) either the form in Michelangelo's mind, or the form of the male body. The "final cause" is: Michelangelo's desire to create a supreme work of art. We moderns don't think this way any more. Is that a plus, or a minus?? In any case, if you want a beginner's course in Aristotle (a man who dominated philosophy for two thousand years or more), this book is highly recommended.