Reddit reviews Story of Philosophy

If you're looking for a broad overview or a history of western philosophy, I wholeheartedly recommend Story of Philosophy by Bryan Magee. Magee's ability to extract the diamond heart of a philosophical work and explain it clearly (many times even clearer than the original writer) is unmatched by anyone, in my opinion. His books Confessions of a Philosopher and The Great Philosophers are also brilliant overview-type books, but Story of Philosophy is the most recent, the most comprehensive (although not the deepest), and it's full of images, so I would recommend that you start there.

I am currently an MA candidate in philosophy. I love the story of philosophy by Byan Magee I bought it on a whim but it is one of the best books I have ever purchased. It gives a great timeline to philosophy, explain why the different thinkers are categorized the way that they are, and then gives an introduction to each of the major thinkers in that area of philosophy. I would say that for someone who likes philosophy and is interested in digging into it but needs a "reference guide" this book could not be more perfect.

Get this book, it's perfect for someone like you:

http://www.amazon.com/Story-Philosophy-Bryan-Magee/dp/078947994X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1317926985&sr=8-2

Also check out the "Philosophy Bites" podcast.