Useful if you don't know that much about Aristotle. The biographical information is helpful. Plate 23 is not referred to anywhere in the book or the index as far as I can tell, so it seems really out of place. The captions of the images seem lazily chosen. ( )

Aristóteles não é exatamente um autor divertido de ler, embora seu estilo de colecionador de problemas e catalogador possa brilhar (como na sua Física). Agora, um livro sobre o grande iniciador da biblioteconomia, da lógica e da biologia, não precisa ser chato. E nem é uma questão de mimese estilística; seria possível fazê-la mas ainda assim dar relevo para coisas interessantes e não apenas curiosas (como as teorias sobre órgãos reprodutores do polvo e da cobra), mostrando o grande legado e influência de Aristóteles, e não o quanto estas teorias estariam ou não dois-milênio-datadas. Ademais, em vários momentos, ao invés de enfatizar as disputas hermenêuticas em volta dos textos do 'príncipe da filosofia', o autor nos apresenta 'a visão correta', ou seja, a que o autor apoia, o que deveria ser evitado, sempre que possível, em livros de caráter introdutório. ( )

Good overview of Aristotle's vast output, and lots of springboards for further reading. It gave me a deeper appreciation of Aristotle's valuable biological research, and also his creation of another scientific field, logic. Cross-referencing his political views with my current reading of Plato's Republic was also revealing, especially in that both flirt with totalitarianism. On the other hand, it confirmed my assumptions that Aristotle's very antiquated views on physics and metaphysics have nothing more than historical value. That said, this book made me want to revisit or read for the first time three areas of Aristotle's work: zoological research, Nicomachean Ethics and Poetics. ( )

Good overview of Aristotle's vast output, and lots of springboards for further reading. It gave me a deeper appreciation of Aristotle's valuable biological research, and also his creation of another scientific field, logic. Cross-referencing his political views with my current reading of Plato's Republic was also revealing, especially in that both flirt with totalitarianism. On the other hand, it confirmed my assumptions that Aristotle's very antiquated views on physics and metaphysics have nothing more than historical value. That said, this book made me want to revisit or read for the first time three areas of Aristotle's work: zoological research, Nicomachean Ethics and Poetics. ( )

A good overview of Aristotle's work. ( )