BOOK REVIEW
Portraits of Philosophers by Minco van der Weide (Platonic Press 2025)
While studying philosophy at Cambridge, filmmaker Minco van der Weide started making a documentary featuring contemporary philosophers. The project combined Minco’s love of photography with his interest in philosophy. The project developed into a new book, Portraits of Philosophers, out now from Platonic Press in a gorgeous, linen-bound coffee table edition.
Minco interviewed 13 influential philosophers, asking them to discuss “what constitutes a life well-lived, what love is, where to find purpose, and how to face suffering with wisdom.” He crafted these interviews into verbal portraits of these living philosophers, presented along with his striking black and white photographic portraits. The philosophers come from different backgrounds, speak with their own voices, and approach the questions from varied perspectives. The questions asked invite no easy answers and the ideas presented sometimes contradict each other.
This is not a typical coffee table book of beautiful pictures with little substance. The photographs are a stirring enhancement to the rather dense thinking expressed in the text. This isn’t a book to flip through but to savor. Readers may wrestle with the ideas they encounter, but Minco encourages that struggle as his readers confront their own understanding of the human condition.
PUBLISHER'S DESCRIPTION
Portraits of Philosophers is an elegant, clothbound coffee table book that pairs striking photographic portraits with intimate interviews about philosophy. It captures the presence and the ideas of some of the most influential philosophers of our time.
ABOUT THE PUBLISHER
Platonic Press is a UK independent publisher turning profound ideas into beautifully made, readable books. We pair lucid writing with intimate access to leading thinkers, creating clothbound volumes that invite conversation as much as they reward reflection. For retailers: cross-category appeal, strong display presence, and full partner support—with flexible wholesale terms and stock-free dropshipping.
NOTES
Portraits of Philosophers is out now and available through Platonic Press and select booksellers. Platonic Press was kind enough to send me a review copy of this new book. Thank you, Platonic!
Varsity magazine published an interesting profile of van der Weide that you can read online here.
