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Originally Posted by Kostya
Personally, I think that the most readable, entertaining and comprehensive introduction to Western philosophy is 'A History of Western Philosophy' by Betrand Russell, probably the greatest philosopher of the twentieth century himself.
Bryan Magee is not bad though.
It also depends on what you take philosophy to be. Are you interested in matters of logic and the like? Or are you more interested in 'Why are we here?' kind of philosophy.
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Due to my limited exposure to either, I am honestly unsure. If I had to pick one, I would tend to favor the 'Why are we here' option, however ideally I will be exposed to both through reading.
After "Looking inside" Magee's book, it seems to feature interviews with those in the field of philosophy, regarding various philosophers. This seems interesting, but also a book I may enjoy reading more as an aside, or follow-up than an initial introduction.
I also came across a
Story of Philosophy by Will Durant, that I enjoyed based on the few pages made accessible by Amazon.
I think I will order, and read, all three, including Bertrand Russel's work. I also checked that out, and found it to be very readable.
I was reluctant to reply so soon, as that often seems to provide closure for threads, but I'd definitely be interested in further replies regarding this topic.