Due to a passing in the family a few years ago and my subsequent health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for years after the bereavement. Thank you for the opportunity.

I am what may be considered as a philosophy layperson- I have no background knowledge of philosophy. I was interested in learning more about it. That being said, I struggled with this book. I'm not sure if it was because I attempted to read it in a digital format (knowing full well that I do better with physical books) or if it was because my brain did not want to cooperate.
If I were in a different mindset, and perhaps had a physical copy of this book, I may be more interested.

Excellent. Gives the reader exactly what it promises – enlightenment philosophy in a nutshell. Takes the key philosophers of the period and in clear and accessible language in a clear and structured format explains their key ideas. A book for any level of knowledge – a useful reminder for the adepts and an invaluable introduction for the less than adept. The easy to digest format, with lots of bullet points and helpful summings up, make it a wonderful resource and a reference book to treasure.

For being an "In a Nutshell," version of philosophy and philosophers, I actually was quite impressed by the expansiveness of the descriptions in this book. The author did a great job of selecting the most important figures of the period and explaining aa bit about who they were, where they came from and what basic ideals they held.

This book is far from boring and, in fact, there are some histories included here, like that of Rousseau, that actually brought a smile to my face, somewhat unusual for a book like this. I think this would be a great place for any student new to philosophy to pick up to introduce themselves to the various figures and some of the concepts. I was both entertained and educated whilst reading this, and can't ask for more than that.

Definitely recommended.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

This is a brilliant introduction to ‘modern’ philosophy and something all schools in theUK should adopt as recommended reading for their sixth form students; it’s in accessible language for all students and a much better resource than some of the recommended text books.
This book would allow students to become independent learners, thinkers and philosophers. It covers allmost everything from the AQA specification, and I’m certain there is over lap with other boards.

A nutshell review: A very good summary of the early philosophers' views of enlightenment. The pictures and numerous quotes were a nice touch. Also glad that there was a little humor mixed-in with the more serious/academic info. I learned a lot and enjoyed this free copy for review very much. Thank you! Recommended for those that want to learn a little more about early philosophy.