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Understanding why such philosophies had great impact is not easy but there are a good number of books that help make sense of how the philosophers developed their ideas, competed with each other and for students, and created institutions that we still try to replicate, to some extent, today. The following lists the top ten books on the ancient Greek philosophers. As usual, there is no particular order but the books are recent and have helped scholars and others to understand this key time in history and its transformative effects.
====Top Ten Books====
Blackson, Thomas A. 2011. <i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1444335731/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1444335731&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=7a73d61c994f3772f34c138870cb40b1 Ancient Greek Philosophy from the Presocratics to the Hellenistic Philosophers]</i>. Malden, Mass.: Wiley-Blackwell.
A good introduction into Greek philosophy and its development. The book is not highly detailed but focuses on explaining the key ideas and knowledge developed by the philosophers of Greece.
Miller, Patrick L. 2011. <i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1441152709/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1441152709&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=f29ec90a8d518eb14dcbff43e05ed32b Becoming God: Pure Reason in Early Greek Philosophy]</i>. London ; New York: Continuum. The Greek philosophers treated God or the gods very differently. While Aristotle did not see their importance, others, like Plato, saw the central role of religion and the gods in our lives. This book is key to understanding these various ideas when it came to religion.
Sharif Khan, Mohammad, and Mohammad Anwar Saleem. 1994. <i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/8170246237/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=8170246237&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=730cf4ca86e6a7d8ed2948c73d059e4f Muslim Philosophy and Philosophers] </i>. New Delhi, India: Ashish Pub. House.
What is striking to those who study Greek Philosophy is how little of their works actually survived and often we have passed on testimonials rather than first handwriting to describe what the philosophies were. The Presocratics were the first set of important philosophers, and their fragmentary writings are very important to reconstructing their early thoughts. This work presents the key fragments.
Wright, M. R. 2010. <i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0520261488/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0520261488&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=24f00708bc10979cf731ed9b5dd1e471 Introducing Greek Philosophy] </i>. Berkeley: University of California Press. For a more recent treatment of the Greek philosophers, Wright's book presents a nice easy read. This is a good contemporary book for those wanting to learn about Greek philosophy without getting confused by the complicated parts.
Soupios, Michael A., and Panos Mourdoukoutas. 2009. <i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1571746056/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1571746056&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=80b49a210549d73e31b149d9a657e5a7 The Ten Golden Rules: Ancient Wisdom from the Greek Philosophers on Living the Good Life]</i>. Charlottesville, VA: Hampton Roads Pub. Co., Inc.
