I want to study philosophy on my own -- where and how do I start?

[Ottovonn]

I admit that I hated philosophy as an undergraduate student. Silly as this may sound, I had always thought of it as, well, thinking about questions and issues no one cares about. I did do well in the only philosophy course I took.

I'm in my late twenties now, but I've become interested in studying philosophy as a hobby. I've come to the realization that studying philosophy can help me brush up on my critical thinking skills and may prove useful in any career application.

Any recommended reads? Should I start with the works of the classical philosophers or get books that provide an overview of their ideas?

[igo69]

At the moment this novel comes to my mind When Nietzsche Wept

[bajachild]

Socrates, Plato, Aristotle. Just start reading.

[ilitig8]

My first inclination is tracking down some introduction to philosophy college texts. What I like about college text books is if you buy a previous edition they are nearly free, as soon as a new edition comes out students need the new one. I bought a bunch of motor theory texts last year when I got interested in motors and the 4 I bought would have been near 2 grand for the current edition, I think I paid $50 for them on Amazon.

Once you have the introduction digested you will be able to identify the direction you want to go with you "studies".

[bajachild]

College book. 1999. Never sold one. 1200 pages.

[M. Montaigne]

This is a surprisingly good book that I think you'd find enjoyable:

[Ottovonn]

Lots of great suggestions. I think I will look at older editions of college textbooks. I didn't think of that at all.

The Plato and Platypus book looks like a fun read. I will definitely grab that first.