Location: Home » Wine Books » Beer » Beer and Philosophy: The Unexamined Beer Isn't Worth Drinking (Epicurean Trilogy)

The Oenophile Network Blog & Forum Links

Wine Blog
Wine Forum

Beer and Philosophy: The Unexamined Beer Isn't Worth Drinking (Epicurean Trilogy)

enlarge

Creators: Michael C. Jackson, Steven D. Hales
Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell
Category: Book

List Price: ~~$19.95~~
Buy New: $10.85
You Save: $9.10 (46%)

New (31) Used (9) from $10.00

Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars

4 reviews
Sales Rank: 132355

Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 248
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.8

ISBN: 1405154306
Dewey Decimal Number: 641.23
EAN: 9781405154307
ASIN: 1405154306

Publication Date: October 29, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: BRAND NEW

Similar Items:

•	Beer (Eyewitness Companions)
•	Wine and Philosophy: A Symposium on Thinking and Drinking
•	Michael Jackson's Great Beer Guide
•	The Best of American Beer and Food: Pairing & Cooking with Craft Beer
•	He Said Beer, She Said Wine: Impassioned Food Pairings to Debate and Enjoy -- From Burgers to Brie and Beyond

Editorial Reviews:

Product Description
From the dawn of civilization, human beings have bent elbows together to consume beer. The stonecutters and laborers who built the Egyptian pyramids did it - and even today, what is more thirst quenching than a good beer at the end of a hard day? Beer is the most democratic of all beverages, making it an excellent vehicle for examining everyday life.

Beer & Philosophy is written for beer lovers who want to think while they drink. It playfully explores a multitude of philosophical questions:

What is the definition of an authentic beer and is its goodness context-dependent?
Is it preferable to drink large quantities of Pabst Blue Ribbon or better to consume smaller amounts of Chimay Blue Grande R�serve?

Can the existence of high quality brew be used to prove the theory of Intelligent Design?

The contributors to this volume present intriguing and often humorous arguments for how complex philosophical concerns are intrinsically linked to something as prosaic as quaffing a pint with friends.

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars

Mixed bag February 25, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful

This book was, in general, a fun read, although I can't say either my knowledge of beer or knowledge of philosophy was increased much. The opening essay on phenomenology raises some interesting if decidedly non-pragmatic discussions of why we call a particular beer "good", the second essay (by Brooklyn Brewery's philosopher-brewer Garrett Oliver) investigates our cultural fascination with making imitations rather than the real things, and an essay deeper into the volume looks into the principles of pleasure and how it can be measured (i.e, do you buy the one case of really good beer or two cases of industrial lite beer?).
However, there are also a couple essays that are painfully forced, one that is outright bizarre (discussing why beer is good in the context of Intelligent Design), and another couple about which all I can say is that they are definitely printed in this book.
Good fodder for discussion with your beer geek friends or those who just like to argue academically. Others will be less amused.

2 out of 5 stars

Not All It's Cracked Up to Be January 18, 2008
0 out of 10 found this review helpful

The English Campaign for Real Ale newspaper pans this book unmercifully.

Marcus Rees' review concludes: "...it had me reaching for a beer more from desperation than inspiration."

5 out of 5 stars

Great Book! December 31, 2007
3 out of 7 found this review helpful

Great book if you are just getting into beer and want to know about the "real" stuff.

5 out of 5 stars

Never read a better beer book December 27, 2007
10 out of 10 found this review helpful

By turns funny, lively, and erudite, Beer and Philosophy is a must-read for any beer lover worth his hops. How can you not like essays like "Beer Goggles and Transcendental Idealism"? The essays address good beer vs. bad, whether beer buddies are true friends, Nietzsche's thoughts on intoxication, and other fun things. Most of the pieces are written by academic philosophers who appreciate beer, but there's also essays by well-known beer writer/brewers such as Garrett Oliver and Sam Calagione. Michael Jackson even contributed the foreword. Plato and porter, Aristotle and ale, Socrates and stout-- it's all good. Of all the beer books I have read, I think this is my favorite. Highly recommended.

Powered by Associate-O-Matic

Customer Service

Contact Customer Service
Ordering
Tracking Your Package
Shipping Information
Domestic Shipping Rates
International Shipping Rates
Returns
Gifts & Gift Certificates
Privacy & Security

Subcategories

•	Aesthetics
•	Analytic Philosophy
•	Ancient
•	Consciousness & Thought
•	Criticism
•	Eastern
•	Epistemology
•	Ethics & Morality
•	Free Will & Determinism
•	Good & Evil
•	Greek & Roman
•	History & Surveys
•	History, 17th & 18th Century
•	Islamic
•	Logic & Language
•	Medieval Thought
•	Metaphysics
•	Methodology
•	Modern
•	Modern Renaissance
•	Movements
•	Ontology
•	Philosophy of Religion
•	Political
•	Reference
•	Religious
•	Science
•	Social Philosophy
•	Theism
•	Cultural
•	Ethnobotany
•	Ethnology
•	Evolution
•	History & Philosophy
•	Physical
•	Primitive
•	Religious
•	Sociobiology
•	AIDS
•	Abuse
•	Adults
•	Aging
•	Children
•	Class
•	Communities
•	Culture
•	Death
•	History
•	Leisure
•	Marriage & Family
•	Medicine
•	Men
•	Occupational
•	Race Relations
•	Religion
•	Research & Measurement
•	Rural
•	Social Groups
•	Social Situations
•	Social Theory
•	Suburban
•	Urban
•	Women
•	Architecture
•	Business & Finance
•	Computer Science & Information Systems
•	Education
•	Engineering
•	Humanities
•	Law
•	Medicine
•	Sciences
•	Social Sciences
•	All Titles
•	Arts & Photography
•	Biographies & Memoirs
•	Business & Investing
•	Children's Books
•	Computers & Internet
•	Cooking, Food & Wine
•	Engineering
•	Entertainment
•	Gay & Lesbian
•	Home & Garden
•	Literature & Fiction
•	Medicine
•	Nonfiction
•	Outdoors & Nature
•	Parenting & Families
•	Professional
•	Reference
•	Religion & Spirituality
•	Science
•	Teens
•	Travel
•	Mass Market
•	Trade

Untitled Document Disclaimer: This is an Amazon storefront - the products referenced on this site are manufactured and sold by parties other than the Oenophile Network. The Oenophile Network makes no representations regarding either the products or any information vendors offer about their products. Any questions, complaints, or claims regarding the products must be directed to the appropriate manufacturer or vendor, or to Amazon.com.