The Beatles and Philosophy: Nothing You Can Think that Can't Be Thunk (Popular Culture and Philosophy, 25)

Bought this in high school and didn't really get into it too much. After junior year in college I open it back up again and it wasn't what I was expecting. For one there isn't one author - each chapter is an essay written by a professional philosopher. I'm not really sure who the audience for this book is. I'm a huge Beatles fan (so I get the references) and I also consider myself somewhat conversant in Eastern and Western philosophy or at least can recognize ideas like those of Plato, Vedanta, Nietzsche, existentialism, etc. Nonetheless this book is for someone who has had more than just the equivalent of maybe a PHIL 100-level course for example. It's not dumbed down or edited for pop consumption. If you don't know what virtue ethics are, what ideas Heidegger was known for, or you think that you might have a hard time reading a philosopher talk about the nuances of Marxist theory or the Hegelian dialectic as it relates to the White Album then I would say that this book is well beyond your grasp. Also as someone who probably doesn't understand most of this book I got the impression that this was less a serious type of philosophical work (as in one in which the Beatles actually meant their songs to say echo Heidegger and the philosophers are breaking their true meanings apart with acumen or trying to argue for some kind of distinct theses) so much as a group of philosopher riffing playfully off of the Beatles' lyrics as philosophers. Unfortunately as this work is too difficult for me (or I don't know enough about philosophy to find it that interesting) so I can't vouch for their ingenuity in doing this. Nonetheless I'll give them 4 stars for the effort until someone more trained than me can review its merits.

I originally gave this 2 stars -- It's probably 3. I reconsidered after I realized some of my dislikes were based on it being one author, but it's actually a compilation of authors -- so some of the more annoying factors (such as frequent reference to "Nowhere Man") aren't as distracting as I originally thought. Some songs are used multiple times by different writers to make different philosophical points.It's insightful as an introduction to classic philosophy topics using Beatles lyrics as a starting point, so it may be of interest to readers who know Fab Four songs quite well and want to get a foothold on common philo-concepts.The best sections focus on philosophical themes that aren't tied so closely to specific lyrics or the "meaning" of songs.

Interesting connections really. And very knowledgeable editors philosophically and musicologically. Don't over think it people... sit back, roll a joint, and enjoy the perspectives piece by piece.

Any book about the Beatles will be enjoyable for me. I can't help but think of their music while I am reading, and that is a good thing. But I did think the philosophical insights, while often on point, were extremely forced. The writers were often forcing Beatles lyrics into their prose as if that would make their philosophical case. To be honest, much of the philosophy went over my head. I think one would need to be, not just a Beatles junkie (like me) but have been formally trained in philosophy (not like me) to get much out of this book. If you're looking to read about the Beatles, go to  A Day in the Life: The Music and Artistry of the Beatles by Mark Hertsgaard, which is an astonishing analysis of their work. It's also a far superior book to the recent Beatles biography.

Love the beatles! This book is pretty cool

I picked up this book hoping to learn more about the background lives of the Beatles, what could've influenced their songwriting, and philosophy in a sense that meant: how did their music reflect life in the sixties/ what did their songs say about life/ or what kind of messages were the Beatles trying to give, if any? What i got was a book that answered half-heartedly my questions. I didn't know much about the phlosophical ideas of Aristotle or Plato, or any Ancient Greek philosophers for that matter, so reading this book was somewhat difficult.The connections to the Beatles seemed... on the side. They seemed a lot more like citations than real analysis. Much of the book was classic philosophical ideas followed by two or three lines from a Beatles song or a quick reference to a specific part of one of the Beatles lives that were "cited" hopefully to back up the idea.To me, the authors of this book were just using the Beatles as an excuse to talk about philosophy.

This wonderful book makes me think of the 1965 George Harrison classic, "Think For Yourself." It is a nice blending of Beatle music and the Beatles' career with philosophical concepts ranging from the basic to the esoteric.Inveterate Beatle fans will undoubtedly enjoy it. It is an interesting look at the Beatles and how philosophy interplays with their impact on culture as well as their music.