This offers a fascinating peep into a wide spectrum of philosophical ideas that have developed over a period of more than two millennia in the Western world – from the times of the ancient Greek civilisation to the modern age. Beginning with Socrates, whose life was aimed at defining the scope of philosophy, it ends with the near-contemporary thinker, Sartre. In the process, some of the icons of philosophy—Plato, Aristotle, Spinoza, David Hume, Adam Smith, Kant, Nietzsche, to name just a few, have been discussed. Each chapter contains a concise and helpful mixture of biographical information on the thinker, the social and cultural background in which he developed his ideas, and a gist of his teachings. An attempt has been made to present complex ideas and thoughts in a simple language. The aim is to provide the readers with an idea of what these intellectual giants stood for. A brief glossary has been appended to help readers understand some philosophical terms.

The book would prove useful to students as well as general readers who will get an essence of the thoughts and ideas of these philosophers. Maybe it will whet their appetite for reading about them in detail. The book could even be a source of ideas to develop in some essays.