HarperCollins Dictionary of Philosophy Second Edition : In-Depth Explanations and Examples Covering More than 3,000 Entries (HarperCollins Dictionary)

Rating:
Summary: Really neat
Review: As a philosopher or philosophy student, it goes without saying that you need more than just one philosophical dictionary. Here's a good one. I use it to supplement my other dictionary, Simon Blackburn's "Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy" (ISBN 0192831348), which is also excellent. One dictionary may have more or different information on one term, or even have a term another may not list, and vice versa, and so different philosophical dictionaries complement one another very well that way. This dictionary here in particular makes it easy to find terms and has concise and to-the-point explanations. To be recommended.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent reference dictionary for non-experts
Review: Mr. Angeles has put together a compact and clear volume of various philosophical terms, as well as brief biographies of all major philosophers. The dictionary is extremely valuable to those, such as myself, who do not formally study philosophy yet wish to understand basic mechanisms and terminology. Of particular interest is the list of informal logical fallacies (under FALLACIES, informal). How many times have you listened to some blathering politician or read some moronic, glib newspaper article and been convinced that the author was being illogical? If that's happened to you more than once, then the informal logical fallacies Mr. Angeles lays out are just the thing for you. My only complaint about the book is its lack of inclusion of religious philosophy (for example, it does not have a brief section discussing the basis principles of Islam or Buddism).

Rating:
Summary: Excellent, compact and to the point.
Review: This dictionary was recommended to me for my philosophy courses. I was rewarded by its usefullness and concise, direct definitions. I found it a valuable asset to my core philosophy courses and will certainly keep it on my shelf for further reference.