Aerobics for the Mind: Practical Exercises in Philosophy that Anybody Can Do

by Michael Potts

This book consists of practical exercises involving the major areas of philosophy: metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, aesthetics, philosophy of mind, philosophy, and philosophy of religion. This book is idea as a supplemental text in introductory philosophy classes and is written at a level so that the average person can understand the book and learn from it.

Genres: Philosophy, Self Help

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 12, 2015

About the author

Michael Potts is a writer of Southern Fiction, Southern Gothic, horror, and poetry originally from Smyrna, Tennessee. He is the author of End of Summer (Tullahoma, TN: WordCrafts Press, 2011), a Southern Fiction novel, and the horror novels Unpardonable Sin (WordCrafts, 2014) and Obedience (WordCrafts, 2016). His poetry chapbook, From Field to Thicket, won the 2006 Mary Belle Campbell Poetry Book Award of the North Carolina Writers' Network. WordCrafts Press also published his book, Aerobics for the Mind: Practical Exercises in Philosophy that Anybody Can Do in 2014. His creative nonfiction essay, "Haunted," won the 2006 Rose Post Creative Nonfiction Contest of the NC Writer's Network. He is a 2007 graduate of Middle Tennessee State University's program, "The Writers' Loft," and is a 2007 graduate of the Odyssey Writing Workshop held at St. Anselm's College in Manchester, NH. He has authored many scholarly publications, and is currently Professor of Philosophy, Methodist University, Fayetteville, North Carolina. He and his wife, Karen, live in Coats, NC, with their three cats.

Reviews

[Tara Brabazon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A weird, innovative and well structured book. The title is - actually - accurate. Potts offers a series of scenarios... Consider your happiest day. Have you ever become lost in a book you were reading? Look at a picture of yourself when you were a child.

Each scenario summons a branch of philosophy that allows this moment of thinking - this trajectory of thought to align in an epistemological or metaphysical debate.

A fascinating book, and idea to read on a flight, on a train, or a waiting room. Each chapter / scenario is short, clear and evocative.

Brilliant idea. Absolutely fascinating. And a great title!

[Marc Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent philosophical workbook tackling many of the dilemmas around how we percieve ourselves and how we relate to our world.
I found the practical exercises fresh, innovative, creative and energising. I teach and also work as a therapist where there is an emphasis on creativity and experimentation. These exercises while approaching reality from a different angle complements the work that I do and have given me plenty of new ideas on how to approach age old existential dilemmas.
The exercises are created in a way that are accessible to all using everyday scenarios so that anyone who tries them will gain insight and food for thought into how they view life.
I received this in a Goodreads First Reads draw.
Overall a very enjoyable workbook.