Rachel is the author of The Little Book of Philosophy (Summersdale) and Get to know: Philosophy (Dorling Kindersley). She is also the creator and writer of Unseen - a series of photographic zines containing essays, poems, short stories and interviews about atmosphere, walking and the land.
Get to Know: Philosophy
Published by Dorling Kindersley (Oct. 2023)
Get to Know: Philosophy aims to encourage and magnify inquisitiveness. Using engaging thought experiments, real-world examples and allegories, the series covers the cornerstones of philosophical thought in an accessible way, giving readers a contemporary introduction to one of the most ancient subjects, while familiarising young minds with critical thinking and important patterns of logic. Featuring infographics, colourful illustrations, and interactive activities, Get to Know: Philosophy is perfect for budding philosophers and every child who asks the biggest questions.
Published by Summersdale
From Socrates to Sartres and Confucius to Kant, this approachable little book introduces you to the key thinkers, themes and theories you need to know to understand how human ideas have sculpted the world we live in and the way we think today.
You can order online from Waterstones/Amazon/Blackwell’s or direct from me here:
The Little Book of Philosophy
The Little Book of Philosophy sponsored an episode of the Panpsycast Philosophy Podcast: an 'informal and informative' philosophy podcast that supports teachers, students, and academics in philosophy.
Here’s what the hosts had to say about it ...
“TLBOP provides an excellent brief introduction to philosophies central figures and ideas. Rachel Poulton managed to pack so much into such a short book, staying true to the ideas while making the content both accessible and thoroughly enjoyable. As an old dog who’s been around the block a few times I really enjoyed reading the book. From Thales, Confucius and Pythagoras through to medieval philosophy, the enlightenment, existentialism and onto modern day thinkers including Daniel Dennett.”
You can listen to the podcast here:
Reviews
“ A pocket masterpiece
The greatest compliment I can give this book is that it manages to cover more than two thousand years of complex thought and never once leaves the reader behind. Poulton does a superb job of covering the key players in the history of philosophy as well as offering clear and accessible explanations of their theories. The information is always delivered in a way that neither patronises the reader nor confuses them with abstruse specialist ideas. This is quite an achievement, and the end result is that you feel you've received a gentle and friendly introduction into a fascinating and vast universe of thought as well as a handy map to guide you should you wish to explore further. All in a package that you can fit in your pocket...what more could anyone want!.”
— Justin, 5* Amazon review
“This LBOP is absolutely awesome, and I mean this sincerely, I have read a lot of introductions to Philosophy books, but honestly, I think this ‘what is philosophy?’ introduction has the most concise definition and inclusive one I have ever read. So many of them are really wordy and nonsense and some of them just get it wrong but that one, that’s the one I’d put my money on that’s for sure! ...
It took me exactly 90 minutes to read it, it’s absolutely fantastic! I don’t think you could pack in so much in one little book.”
— Dr. Olly Marley, academic, lecturer and co-host of thepanpsycast.com
“Informative and entertaining
As I see it this book has two functions: firstly as an easy-to-read introduction to philosophy, and secondly as a sort of glossary when you have passed on to a deeper study of the subject Or, as the author insists, you have started *doing* philosophy - as an activity. If for a moment you can't tell your Pythagoras from your Parmenides or you can't exactly put your finger on what Kant was going on about in his "Critique of Pure Reason" then you'll find the answers in this delightful little book. An index might have been useful but really the book is so concise and in chronological order that you find what you want in an instant.”
— Appia, 5* Amazon review
Artist facilitator,
Photography, Philosophy and
Zine making Workshops
I run zine making workshops and facilitate art workshops that mix philosophical exploration with photography and publishing to get people thinking and expressing themselves creatively. I have worked with a number of artists, galleries and museums around the country, as well as Brighton University and the Center for Philosophy and Visual Art at King’s College London, delivering workshops in galleries around themes that support their current exhibitions. I am currently collaborating with Photoworks facilitating a series of photography workshops exploring the changing landscape of Brighton over the past hundred years.