For a book that contains equal parts text and illustration, INTRODUCING THE ENLIGHTENMENT is surprisingly helpful. There is perhaps no better place to look for a better initial orientation to the main figures and ideas of the Enlightenment. One will definitely want to read other, deeper books about the era after this one, but this is an excellent starting point.

This little gem of a book is chock full of facts, personages, and events contained within the marvellous phenomenon known as The Enlightenment. It could rightfully be considered an encyclopedia of sorts.

The book begins with the first stirrings of the Enlightenment (17th century), and ends with the French Revolution. In between is a treasure trove of information, with all subjects brought into discussion adequately addressed.

If you are curious about the Enlightenment, if you have a scholastic assignment pertaining to same, or if you (like myself) need a solid yet entertaining beginner's stepping-stone to further Enlightenment studies then THIS BOOK IS FOR YOU.

By far the best in the "Introducing" series published by Icon/Totem. The author made only one mistake in the book: A section entitled "The End of the Enlightenment." To the contrary -- the Enlightenment is still alive!

Long live the Enlightenment!

The task itself was daunting, so it is understandable that the authors and illustrators had a hard time making Hegel accessible. Some things that are covered: Phenomenology, Dialectics, Hegel's life, and his influence on Heidegger. But what's missing are clear explanations, and a sense of why Hegel remains important, i.e., his relevance to today's philosophy and other fields (like Media Studies). Hegel himself is neigh impenetrable, but a book claiming to be a basic introduction should have been much clearer and integrative. The illustrations were also not particularly riveting and did not have any additional explanatory power.