Books published by publisher The School of Life Press

Children are, in many ways, born philosophers.Without prompting, they ask some of the largest questions about time, mortality, happiness and the meaning of it all. Yet too often this inborn curiosity is not developed and, with age, the questions fall away.This is a book designed to harness children's spontaneous philosophical instinct and to develop it through introductions to some of the most vibrant and essential philosophical ideas of history. The book takes us to meet leading figures of philosophy from around the world and from all eras - and shows us how their ideas continue to matter.The book functions as an ideal introduction to philosophy, as well as a charming way to open up conversations between adults and children about the biggest questions we all face.What people are saying about Big Ideas for Curious Minds: "This is an absolute must have for ALL children. It is absolutely fantastic and helps children understand a number of their daily struggles. In fact I take that previous comment back, this is an absolute must for EVERYONE. I have had read it from cover to cover, and as a 40 year old woman I have honestly learnt something new." Freddies Mummy UK "This is a beautifully produced book published by the School of Life (founded by well known philosopher Alain de Botton). It is a very accessible starting point for exploring philosophy and how philosophical ideas can be applied to everyday life, in fact it is very explicit about this." Ewingel "I can't stop reading and talking about this book with others. It is easy to follow and great for an introduction to philosophy for kids. Well written, great illustrations, ideas and clever how it relates the philosophers' ideas to the lives and issues that children have. 5 stars!" Thomas Leesa "The book itself is genius with an introduction to leading figures of philosophy from around the world from all eras. Alongside that there are chapters teaching our children crucial lessons about life, about love, and about loss. Topics such as 'Why you feel lonely' , 'Politeness matters' , 'People are unhappy not mean' , and 'The mind-body problem' offer invaluable insights into philosophy in a way that our children can really get on board with. When the book arrived and I had a quick glance through it, my immediate reaction was that it was far too old for my children. And yet when I took the time to start reading, and to admire the beautiful illustrations, I found myself still sat there, an hour later, realising that this was exactly the kind of book I want each of my children to read as they grow." Five Little Doves "The focus of these chapters are incredibly meaningful, some of my favourites include 'People are unhappy, not mean', 'Learn to say what s on your mind', 'Good things are (unexpectedly) hard' and 'Politeness matters'. The book has been written by the fantastic School of Life and it is suggested for curious minds aged 9+. I think most adults would also find these ideas incredibly helpful to reflect on; who doesn't need reminding that when someone is angry, maybe it's not you who is responsible?" Louise Treherne, Role Models "Although Big Ideas for Curious Minds is aimed at children I have got a lot from it too and I wish I had read it myself as a child... This book has taught me, and LP, new ways of thinking and new ways of being." What the Redhead Said

Children are, in many ways, born philosophers. Without prompting, they ask some of the largest questions about time, mortality, happiness and the meaning of it all. Yet too often this inborn curiosity is not developed and, with age, the questions fall away. This is a book designed to harness children's spontaneous philosophical instinct and to develop it through introductions to some of the most vibrant and essential philosophical ideas of history. The book takes us to meet leading figures of philosophy from around the world and from all eras - and shows us how their ideas continue to matter. The book functions as an ideal introduction to philosophy, as well as a charming way to open up conversations between adults and children about the biggest questions we all face.

Almost no one gets through life without having their heart broken. Advice at such a dark moment tends to focus on letting time do the healing. But understanding and perspective also have a vital role. We sometimes make our situation far worse than it needs to be. We start to tell ourselves that we are not good enough, that we fail at everything, that this one rejection means we will always be maltreated …This is a book to help us get over heartbreak by offering some context, some history, some psychology and a little philosophy. We learn about how our responses to abandonment are formed, what the best way to think about an ex might be and how to envisage future relationships when we are in despair. We come away gently cheered that we are not alone, consoled that our suffering will have an end – and intrigued by the endless and subtle sorrows and joys of relationships.

A unique, illustrated guide to the world of work, bringing clarity to children’s essential questions on potential future careers. It’s impossible for a child to spend too long around adults without one of them coming up and asking, as if it were the most normal thing in the world, "What do you want to do when you grow up?" They mean for this to be a relatively simple question; the idea is that you’ll quite easily be able to say something like, "A teacher" or "A doctor" and then the adult will move on―and bother someone else. But the truth can be a lot more complicated, and if you’ve ever felt confused or annoyed by the question, you have every right: Knowing what you might want to do with your working life is one of the biggest, oddest, and hardest questions of all. It might take many decades to find a good answer to it―and it’s one that most adults are still grappling with… This is a unique book about careers and the world of work written expressly for children. It takes us on a journey around some of the most essential questions within the topic: How can one discover one’s passions?, what should a "good" job involve?, what is a good amount of money to try to make?, how does the economy function?―and acknowledges that the job you might do one day probably doesn’t even exist now. The result is a book that should spark some exceptionally fruitful conversations and help children look to their future work life with positivity and anticipation.

Almost no one gets through life without, at some point, having their heart broken. Advice at such a dark moment tends to focus on letting time do the healing. But there is also a vital role for understanding and perspective. We sometimes make our situation far worse than it needs to be through certain ideas we develop about why we’ve been left. We start to tell ourselves that we are not good enough, that we fail at everything, that this one rejection means we will always be maltreated… Our thoughts make our sorrow a great deal more intense than it could be. This is a book to help us over heartbreak by offering us some context, some history, some psychology and a little philosophy. We learn about how our responses to abandonment are formed, what the best way to think about an ex might be and how to envisage future relationships when we are in despair. We come away gently cheered that we are not alone, consoled that our suffering will have an end―and intrigued by the endless and subtle sorrows and joys of relationships. "Everyone we admire, everyone we find interesting has had, or will have, their heart broken. Our heartbreak seems to cut us off from the rest of humanity; secretly it brings us closer together."

An essential guide to emotional well-being for children; tackling everyday issues to facilitate happier, healthier lives.Our minds are beautifully complicated and brilliant machines. For much of our lives, these machines run efficiently with minimal maintenance. However, just like our other organs, they do require some proper attention every now and then. Recognizing this at an early age can only help as children progress into adulthood.Happy, Healthy Minds is a guide designed to help children become more aware of their emotional needs and examines a range of topics that might give their minds difficulties, for example: - when parents don’t seem to understand us - when we’re finding it hard to make friends - when school feels boring or difficult - when we feel angry, or anxious, or lack confidenceThere are atlases out there that describe the continents of the world. This book acts as an atlas to children's minds, mapping out emotions and moods they may well have felt but not understood so clearly before.We explore a range of common scenarios encountered by children and talk about some of the very best ideas to help deal with them. By offering a sympathetic and supportive framework, Happy, Healthy Minds encourages children to open up, explore their own feelings and face the dilemmas of growing up armed with a new degree of emotional intelligence.

Our minds are beautifully complicated and brilliant machines. For much of our lives, these machines run efficiently with minimal maintenance. However, just like our other organs, they do require some proper attention every now and then and recognising this at an early age can only help as children progress into adulthood.This is a guide designed to help children become more aware of their emotional needs and examines a range of topics that might give their minds difficulties, for example:– when parents don’t seem to understand us– when we’re finding it hard to make friends– when school feels boring or difficult– when we feel angry, or anxious, or lack confidenceThere are atlases out there that describe the continents of the world. This book acts as an atlas to a child’s mind, mapping out emotions and moods they may well have felt but not understood so clearly before.We explore a range of common scenarios encountered by young children and talk about some of the very best ideas to help deal with them. By offering a sympathetic and supportive framework, Happy, Healthy Minds encourages children to open up, explore their own feelings and face the dilemmas of growing up armed with emotional intelligence.