Philosophy in the Garden
Overview
Why did Marcel Proust have bonsai beside his bed? What was Jane Austen doing, coveting an apricot? How was Friedrich Nietzsche inspired by his ‘thought tree’?
In Philosophy in the Garden, Damon Young explores one of literature’s most intimate relationships: authors and their gardens. For some, the garden provided a retreat from workaday labour; for others, solitude’s quiet counsel. For all, it played a philosophical role: giving their ideas a new life.
Philosophy in the Garden reveals the profound thoughts discovered in parks, backyards, and pot-plants. It does not provide tips for mowing overgrown couch grass, or mulching a dry Japanese maple. It is a philosophical companion to the garden’s labours and joys.
Details
- Format
- Size
- Extent
- ISBN
- RRP
- Pub date
- Rights held
- Other rights
- Hardback
- 198mm x 129mm
- 208 pages
- 9781912854332
- GBP£9.99
- 8 August 2019
- UK & Cw (ex ANZ)
- ANZ MUP
Praise
‘This is a gardening book that takes readers not on a walk around great estates but on a tour of great minds … It's a lovely extension on the notion that gardens make you contemplative and in working with the soil you see life's big picture.’
‘Erudite, yet witty and accessible, [Philosophy in the Garden] is intellectual history at its most completely pleasurable.’
About the Author
Damon Young is a prize-winning philosopher and writer. He is the author or editor of thirteen books, including The Art of Reading, How to Think About Exercise, Philosophy in the Garden, and Distraction. His works have been translated into eleven languages, and he has also written poetry, short fiction, and children’s fiction. Young is an Associate in Philosophy at the University of Melbourne.
