Ask a Philosopher / Pitajte filozofa

This book was born out of philosophical discussions Olasov had with people he met at the “Ask A Philosopher” booth he runs. Olasov, with a rotating group of fellow professional philosophers, set this booth up all over New York City at “farmers markets, stores, subway stations, parks, book festivals, and street fairs” where individuals from all walks of life asked Olasov and company whatever philosophical questions were on their minds (xi). One of us even had the privilege of accompanying Olasov at the booth and witnessed first-hand what a fun, educational, and transformative experience it can be for all involved. This book captures some of those experiences and, in so doing, provides an engaging introduction to philosophy. The structure of the book is straightforward. Each chapter is a short stand-alone work that focuses on a question someone asked at the booth. This means that the book can be read out of order and, since most chapters are only around five pages, it’s a brisk and consistently exciting read.

Because this book is for people of all ages the publisher wanted a fun, colorful and entertaining cover that would  warm up to a wider audience by representing philosophical themes as something that is accessible and relatable to all. This approach complements the book content in which philosophical approach is taken to answer every day questions people have, demonstrating what it actually is that philosophers do, showing that philosophy is not about esoteric questions irrelevant to everyday life.