Reviews
"Avoiding the main pitfalls that beset her subject, Sassi looks afresh at the evidence for important early Greek thinkers, asks what can be attributed to them, and admirably allows for a great variety of responses to that question." --Geoffrey Lloyd, Needham Research Institute, "This book is among the most illuminating contributions to the much-debated topic of how, why, and in what form the Greeks of the sixth and fifth centuries BC created philosophy. Its constructive blend of cultural history, anthropology, and philosophical analysis makes it particularly good to think with, and it is now finally available to a broader audience of Anglophone readers." 'e"David Sedley, University of Cambridge, "[A] rich investigation of the origins of philosophical thought in Greek culture." ---Peter Adamson, New York Review of Books, "Avoiding the main pitfalls that beset her subject, Sassi looks afresh at the evidence for important early Greek thinkers, asks what can be attributed to them, and admirably allows for a great variety of responses to that question." 'e"Geoffrey Lloyd, Needham Research Institute, "This impressively learned book contributes to longstanding debates about the beginnings of Greek philosophy, its connections to earlier Greek writings that address similar topics, the way Aristotle shapes our access to Presocratic philosophy, and more." --Katja Maria Vogt, Columbia University, "This impressively learned book contributes to longstanding debates about the beginnings of Greek philosophy, its connections to earlier Greek writings that address similar topics, the way Aristotle shapes our access to Presocratic philosophy, and more." Katja Maria Vogt, Columbia University, "This book is among the most illuminating contributions to the much-debated topic of how, why, and in what form the Greeks of the sixth and fifth centuries BC created philosophy. Its constructive blend of cultural history, anthropology, and philosophical analysis makes it particularly good to think with, and it is now finally available to a broader audience of Anglophone readers." David Sedley, University of Cambridge, "[Sassi's] understanding of ancient societies and philological tradition will enrich how surveys of ancient philosophy are taught." ---P.W. Wakefield, Choice Reviews, "This elegant study shows how a variety of historical, social, and cultural questions and factors eventually led to the formation of a new discipline called 'e~philosophy'e(tm) in ancient Greece. Sassi displays an admirable blend of anthropological and philosophical sensitivity that is perfectly adapted to the subject and illuminates it in many new ways." 'e"André Laks, author of The Concept of Presocratic Philosophy, "This impressively learned book contributes to longstanding debates about the beginnings of Greek philosophy, its connections to earlier Greek writings that address similar topics, the way Aristotle shapes our access to Presocratic philosophy, and more." 'e"Katja Maria Vogt, Columbia University, "This book is among the most illuminating contributions to the much-debated topic of how, why, and in what form the Greeks of the sixth and fifth centuries BC created philosophy. Its constructive blend of cultural history, anthropology, and philosophical analysis makes it particularly good to think with, and it is now finally available to a broader audience of Anglophone readers." --David Sedley, University of Cambridge, "This elegant study shows how a variety of historical, social, and cultural questions and factors eventually led to the formation of a new discipline called 'philosophy' in ancient Greece. Sassi displays an admirable blend of anthropological and philosophical sensitivity that is perfectly adapted to the subject and illuminates it in many new ways." --André Laks, author of The Concept of Presocratic Philosophy, "Avoiding the main pitfalls that beset her subject, Sassi looks afresh at the evidence for important early Greek thinkers, asks what can be attributed to them, and admirably allows for a great variety of responses to that question." Geoffrey Lloyd, Needham Research Institute