I want to get my younger brother a gift - a book on philosophy, suggestions would be appreciated

[usregimechange]

He is a young radical so there is no need to promote too much of this by a gift of some fringe existentialist or postmodern thinker. Not that I necessarily oppose such ventures, I just want to broaden his thinking beyond rebelliousness to a richer more mature view of the world. What would you suggest?

[EFerrari]

1. I once had this 3 vol History of Philosophy that was amazing.

Maybe I paid full price but betcha Amazon has it for reasonable. It had everything in it. :)

http://www.amazon.com/History-Philosophy-1/dp/0385468431

[insanity]

2. Man's Search for Meaning

Is pretty legit.

[Chan790]

3. Jean-Jacques Rousseau- The Social Contract.

"Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains. One man thinks himself the master of others, but remains more of a slave than they." Thus begins one of the greatest treatises of modern philosophy and the basis of nearly 250 years of subsequent liberal social thought on the need to continually strive for the greater perfection of society for the betterment of all people. A simultaneous argument for greater liberty from the tyranny of the government and for support for all within the social contract.

Many a young thinker has entered Rousseau a rebel and come out the other side no less passionate but a great deal more focused on how to improve his society.

[RushIsRot]

4. Walden by Henry David Thoreau had a profound effect upon me

when I was a teen. It's a combination of philosophy and nature writing.

[travelingtypist]

5. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.

I did a nonfiction book report on that when I was a junior in
high school, oh, 30 years ago. Loved it.