This engaging book introduces the reader to philosophers East and West, considering their lives and arguments where we are warned to avoid asking questions as the answers will leave you more confused and, as the title suggests, befuddled. The 15 chapters travel well-known figures like Pythagoras, Heraclitus, Empedocles, the Buddha, Plato, Epicurus and Seneca, but also Aristippus, Pyrrho and Hipparchia, whose colourful life and independent views are vividly evoked. The portraits bring the figures and their ideas to life, and there is an appendix with specific questions and activities ideal for school philosophy classes, which the author himself teaches. ~ David Lorimer, Paradigm Explorer Scientific and Medical Network

David Birch stands by his statement that philosophy is for freaks and that the stories in this book prove it! What other conclusion can one reasonably draw when faced with tales of public urination, volcano jumping and bean phobia? As for his quite wondrously told, highly informative, and delightfully entertaining philosophical concepts, complete with rousing anecdotes to bring it all to life, Birch freely admits that with his list of names included within the pages of this book, having lived thousands of years ago, that it is not always possible to know what really happened. Some of the stories may seem unbelievable, and some are most certainly legends rather than facts. Nevertheless, though these stories may not always be true, they are always interesting. And that is the real point of this mesmerizing new prose, to present strange stories and curious ideas so that you may start your own extraordinary explorations, discover your own powers of thought, and experience for yourself the freaky thrills of befuddlement! In closing, author David Birch invites you to add your own life to the collection, for along with questions and activities designed to start you on that very path, contained within the pages is a curiously-curated series of amusing and informative sketches of some great philosophers and thinkers; such as Pythagoras, Buddha, Socrates, Plato, and both Jesus and Diogenes. ~ Exclusive Magazine, Review

Fun, informative, exceptional, thoughtful and thought-provoking, "Befuddled: The Lives & Legends of Ancient Philosophers" is a splendid introduction to philosophy and the philosophers of old. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Befuddled" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $15.99) and is a welcome and recommended addition to personal, professional, high school, community, and academic library History of Philosophy collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. ~ Midwest Book Review, Review

Philosophy teacher Birch (Pandora’s Book) delivers an entertaining illustrated survey of major ancient philosophers. From Heraclitus and Pythagoras to Buddha and Zhuangzi, Birch weaves philosophical concepts with anecdotes that bring his subjects’ intellectual journeys to life. Buddha, he writes, grew up wealthy and then pursued a life of one-grain-of-rice-a-day asceticism, only to discover neither produced meaning—it took meditating under a fig tree to grasp the “impermanence of the world.” Socrates, meanwhile, on a quest to understand wisdom, questioned politicians and wise men so thoroughly that they eventually called for his death, though not before he realized true wisdom is knowing one’s cluelessness. Birch excels in summarizing complex ideas (his breakdown of Zeno’s Paradox, which holds that a moving object never reaches its destination, is particularly impressive), though the foregrounding of colorful anecdotes sometimes dampens the philosophical substance. But for readers looking for a primer on heady philosophical concepts, this will do the trick. ~ Publishers Weekly

David Birch has produced a series of amusing and informative sketches of some great philosophers and thinkers. It is a stimulating and very enjoyable romp. ~ Stephen Law, philosopher and author

Rich and beautiful, these stories educate and enchant in equal measure. This is a book that people of all ages would prosper from. ~ Andy West, author of The Life Inside: A Memoir of Prison, Philosophy and Family