Descartes to Kant: An Introduction to Modern Philosophy

I was fortunate enough to be a student of Garrett Thomson's while studying Philosophy at The College of Wooster in Wooster, Ohio. Garrett's book (as well as his guidance in the classroom, and his friendship) was invaluable to me at this time.Understanding the roots of modern philosophy is critically important to having a real understanding of the world today. This book is both clear and concise, and presents a summary of each major figure in modern philosophy from Descartes through Kant (as the title implies), detailing their life's work and major contributions to the field. Most importantly, each of these great philosophers is not presented as though they arose spontaneously out of a vacuum; rather, the relationships between their differing views is presented in a cohesive and binding way.A student new to philosophy would do well to begin his/her journey with this book in hand; a more advanced student would find it quite useful as a quick-reference.