If you are an aspiring young philosopher or just curious about philosophy, this book will give you a jump-start. In about three hours' reading time you will become familiar with the most basic building blocks of philosophy and will become acquainted with twelve of the most influential philosophers in Western history. To make the information as memorable as possible, many of the terms are arranged in pairs so that you get two for the price of one and can quickly grasp how they are related. Other disciplines in the humanities use many of the same terms, so by mastering them you will also obtain tools for understanding historians, sociologists, psychologists, economists, and political scientists.