"Philosophy made relevant by writers grappling with thorny issues. [An] eclectic, lively gathering of essays...on the discipline of philosophy; the contribution of science to "the riddle of the human species"; vexing questions about religion, morality, and God; and society, which includes reflections on economics, politics, family, race (including the killing of Trayvon Martin), violence (including the Sandy Hook school shootings, and America's fierce attachment to what Firmin DeBrabander calls "robust individualism and self-determination." Serious pieces that serve as counterweights to the frothy blogosphere." -- Kirkus Reviews "This stimulating collection of 133 essays fully validates the New York Times' decision to launch 'The Stone,' a column devoted to twenty-first-century philosophy in all its perplexing diversity... The Stone writers remind readers that long after Socrates challenged his students in Athens' agora, philosophy still speaks to our deepest human concerns." -- Booklist