i pick Sophie\'s World book from a street both in downtown Amman-Jordan, i picked it up because i read Norwegian literature written on the book. i loved and read philosophy almost all of my life, but i never read it in this simple beautiful style. this story really change my life and the way i look to philosophy for ever. thank you

What do you think about essay in below : http://www.saidnur.com/en/index.htm Risale-i Nur ->English->The Words -> The Eighth Wo
If you want to understand this world, and man's spirit within the world, and the nature and value of religion within man, and how the world is a prison if there is no True Religion, and that without religion man becomes the most miserable of creatures, and that it is O God! and, There is no god but God that solve this world's talisman and deliver the human spirit from darkness, then listen to and consider this comparison:

Long ago, two brothers set off on a long journey. They continued on their way until the road forked. At the fork they saw a serious-looking man and asked him: "Which road is good?" He told them: "On the road to the right one is compelled to comply with the law and order, but within that hardship is security and happiness. However, on the left-hand road there is freedom and no restraint, but within its freedom lies danger and wretchedness. Now, the choice is yours!"

After listening to this, saying, I place my trust in God,3 the brother with a good character took the right road and conformed to the order and regulations. The other brother, who was immoral and a layabout, chose the road to the left just for the lack of restraint. With our imaginations, we shall follow this man in his situation, which was apparently easy but in reality burdensome.

Thus, this man went up hill and down dale until he found himself in a desolate wilderness. He suddenly heard a terrifying sound and saw that a great lion had come out of the forest and was about to attack him. He fled. He came across a waterless well sixty metres deep, and in his fear jumped into it. He fell half-way down it where his hands met a tree. He clung on to it. The tree, which was growing out of the walls of the well, had two roots. Two rats, one white and one black, were attacking and gnawing through them. He looked up and saw that the lion was waiting at the top of the well like a sentry. He looked down and saw a ghastly dragon. It raised its head and drew it close to his foot thirty metres above. Its mouth was as big as the mouth of the well. Then he looked at the well's walls and saw that stinging, poisonous vermin had gathered round him. He looked up at the mouth of the well and saw a fig-tree. But it was not an ordinary tree, it bore the fruit of many different trees, from walnuts to pomegranates.

Thus, through his lack of thought and foolishness, the man did not understand that this was not just some ordinary matter, these things were not here by chance, and that there were mysterious secrets concealed in these strange beings. And he did not grasp that there was someone very powerful directing them. Now, although his heart, spirit, and mind were secretly weeping and wailing at this grievous situation, his evil-commanding soul pretended that it was nothing; it closed its ears to the weeping of his heart and spirit, and deceiving itself, started to eat the tree's fruit as though it was in a garden. But some of the fruit were poisonous and harmful. Almighty God says in a Divine Hadith: "I am according to how my servants think of Me."

Thus, through his foolishness and lack of understanding, this unhappy man thought what he saw to be ordinary and the actual truth. And so that is the way he was treated, and is treated, and will be treated. He neither dies so that he is saved from it, nor does he live - he is in such torment. And so, we shall leave this ill-omened man in his torment and return, so that we may consider the situation of the other brother.

This fortunate and intelligent person went on his way, but he suffered no distress like his brother. For, due to his fine morals, he thought of good things, and imagined good things. Everything was friendly and familiar to him. And he did not suffer any difficulty and hardship like his brother, for he knew the order and followed it. He found it easy. He went on his way freely and in peace and security. Then he came across a garden in which were both lovely flowers and fruits, and, since it was not looked after, rotting and filthy things. His brother had also entered such a garden, but he had noticed and occupied himself with the filthy things and they had turned his stomach, so he had left it and moved on without being able to rest at all. But this man acted according to the rule, 'look on the good side of everything', and had paid no attention to the rotting things. He had benefited a lot from the good things, and taking a good rest, he had left and gone on his way.

Later, also like the first brother, he had entered a vast desert, and had suddenly heard the roar of a lion which was attacking him. He was frightened, but not as much as his brother. For, because of his good thoughts and positive attitude, he thought to himself: "This desert has a ruler, and it is possible that this lion is a servant under the ruler's command," and found.

In the year 2000 after trying to write a film script i decided to go traveling and ended up on what i thought at the time was a downward spiral. I must add I had never heard of the book @Sophies World@ until this morning. Instead I ended up becoming an escort and calling myself Sophie and set up a website called Sophies World, writing about my adventures as an escort. Neither lasted very long as i fell in love and moved on with my life, and Sophies World as i knew it was long forgotten. Instead i went on a 10 year adventure which has made me who i am, and would surely frighten most people.I realise now i was simply collecting material for my writings.Ironically Ten years on I find myself living in Norway for no real logical reason, on the brink of moving back to the UK and have finished writing 2 film scripts and this morning i discover there is a book called Sophies World. If i say it out loud i feel like a real lunatic ......... The messages are always out there. So I am quite excited about the prospect of reading Sophies World especially being in the motherland of the writer and finding out what Sophies World means to me now. Keep up the good work with this website and ill post once i have read Sophies World.

So I was dating someone that introduced me into Philosophy. He told me to read Sophie's World because it was a great book. I remember when we first met he asked me a lot of questions that now I know where they came from. I'm a little lost. He and I are no longer together so its been difficult for me to understand the book. I can't pick up the phone and ask or discussed about what I'm reading. If any one is willing to give me some help on this I really appreciate it. I'm in chapter 5...English version of it.! My email is: vandrade0405@yahoo.com

Hi there,

I interviewed Jostein Gaarder for the 2010 Melbourne Writers Festival and I came across your website in my background research. Thanks very much for all of the help. Here is the final product - http://hiddendocumentary.com/?p=756.

Best wishes,

hiddendoco

I have read "Sophie's World" several times over a number of years. It is a wonderful work that would fit well into a secondary school level introduction to philosophy. Most recently, I found reference to the phrase "oceanic feeling" which answered a question for me regarding the U.S. television series "Lost".

hi
have you read this novel..
“The Lost Dimension” ( in Sophie’s World )
click and read from this link:
http://books.google.com/books?id=P8voGftyPyAC&printsec=frontcover&dq=the+lost+dimension+al-lawaty&source=bl&ots=-l_F02wLuD&sig=X_onoGtv61XVjGWbu3sXw4MDmTk&hl=en&ei=NDlBTPn5KYSgvQOz2tndDA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CBUQ6AEwAQ

or
http://www.dorrancebookstore.com/noinphlodiem.html

Thanks

Dear Webmaster,

I've been teaching English at the Teacher Training College, Widya Mandala Catholic University, Surabaya, Indonesia since 1982. I felt so lucky that I could read (the English version of) Sophie's World in this Christmas-New Year vacation and bought the book at Kinokuniya Bookstore, Singapore.

I couldn't agree more with other commentators that it's fascinating, interesting and challenging to follow the dialogs between Alberto Knox and Sophie, intertwined through the absurdity of the major's spirit influencing the characters.

However, I must disagree to comments that the English version/translation is done for the American market. Even though, I have not (and could not read the original version) as it has been translated into 53 languages--that was what I read in the book I bought--I feel I need to give my comment. Any single translation must contain some adjustment. I appreciate good translators who are able to adjust nontransferable concepts and/or heavily culture-bound expressions into the concepts and/or expressions comprehensible to the target language readers, without changing the fundamental meanings written down by the author. Otherwise, the translation version will be "difficult to read" and less flowing.

I will be finishing the book tonight, and might reread it again, for sure.

Wuri

Well done dear thinker… Your project is now on earth!

I’m a 36 years old unknown Sri-lankan Thinker…I was started an Independent philosophical project nearly at 2001 to find a concept/strategy for establish sustainable Global peace beyond year 2050,I was paid my full attention to find out the root causes of violence and violent movements,from Personal level to Global level…
I was carried out this project alone with surviving as a musician (up to now),Last year I was realized the real size of my philosophical project,by the time it was grown through many other areas i.e brain sciences,Human biology etc…
Finally I felt that I need an Intellectual partner to carry on this project at least up to a document,which I like to call as a “Violence Fact Book” and kept my own target to achieve this goal at least within the next 10 years of time…
I was asked with many many “Intellectuals” who seems like the correct personals for engaged with these kind of project, I’ve got nothing than the frustration,But accidentally I’ve found one person three months ago, who is with the capacity and with in built passion to being engaged with these kind of work, a 23 years old young girl…
According to my past experiences with searching people for my project,It’s was really unexpected thing and Impossible thing to found a female person who willing to be engaged with a project based on a philosophical context ,especially with a high risk with the “reality” of the project… (mostly these kind of projects never becomes true in the life time of a thinker)
I’ve asked her “why and how” you are in really interested with working with this project,She tall me about a book which was Inspired herself…
So, Last week I read the book “Sophie’s world” and realized the global project of the Author and wanted to contact him and say “Well done dear thinker! Your philosophical project is now on earth” but Its really sad to knew that he was passed away at 2004,When the time I’m trying to sketch my philosophical project , Global Peace beyond year 2050…
If my project becomes to the land one day, Mr.Jostein Gaarder will be a honorable share holder of my work…
Also specially I would like to thank you,to the current web master; for continuing his father’s Great Work ...

Dear son of the original webmaster,

I have just re-read the (Dutch version of) Sofie's Verden, and as always when I read one of my favorite books again I saw the story in a different light and discovered a lot of new things. This book in particular, though, is so wonderful because not only my outlook on it's story changes, but my outlook on my own life actually shifts. I think that is the great thing about philosophy, that it makes you see from a different perspective, a new facet of the 'truth diamond'.

I don't know whether your father's interest in this book had anything to do with this explanation of my interest, but I think it might have. And because I was touched by your own introduction above your father's on the main page, I just wanted to say (at the risk of sounding cheesy) that I hope your father has found some answers to all our questions. And of course, new questions.