Philosophy on Tap

Approaching deep thought through a pint glass lens, Lawrence (philosophy, Long Beach City Coll., CA; Like a Splinter in Your Mind: The Philosophy Behind the Matrix Trilogy) pairs 48 three- to six-page philosophical meditations with geographically or eponymically relevant world brews. A clever beer-themed prompt (e.g., "If a Pint Spills in the Forest…") heads each chapter, though Lawrence gives the historically accurate formulation in a "Truth Be Told" section. Further study questions, "Did You Know?" trivia, a brief recommended reading list, and a beer-tasting-notes chart supplement each puzzle. Lawrence offers a mostly balanced survey of Western canon dilemmas from Zeno to the present, dipping also into Buddhism and Taoism. An unfortunate element of beer culture, however, is perpetuated by a subtle boy-zone barroom mentality pervading a few chapters like "The Beer Goggles Paradox," only partially remedied by a Catherine Mackinnon-quoting section on the legal and moral considerations of pub flirtation vs. sexual harassment.