Who are you? Where does the world come from? These were the questions, which baffled the mind of a fifteen-year-old Norwegian girl named Sophie. Thus an ordinary day started the mysterious adventure for the girl. She learned all about the world of philosophy through her teacher, Alberto Knox. The latter taught her the philosophies of the pre-Socratic Greeks to Sartre. The book reached its conclusion at a philosophical garden party, which Sophie throws to celebrate her birthday. But it turned into a rather unpleasant affair where Alberto finally speaks the plain truth and then he and Sophie used this as a diversion so they can escape to their true identities.
             Since this novel is mainly about philosophy, it is important to know what is philosophy and what is it for. Philosophy literally means the love for wisdom. It is concerned with reasoned arguments to identify truth and reality. But why do we need to identify truth and reality? Why do we need to concern ourselves with these in the first place? In Alberto's introductory letter to Sophie, he tells her what the aim of philosophy is and why it is central to our lives. Actually, throughout the book, the author repeatedly emphasizes the importance of philosophy and its relevance in our everyday lives. This is where Alberto first states the idea,"But when these basic needs have been satisfied – will there still be something that everybody needs? Philosophers think so. They believe that man cannot live by bread alone. Of course everyone needs food. And everyone needs love and care. But there is something else – apart from that – which everyone needs, and that is to figure out who we are and why we are here". Basically, Alberto was right. Once we have satisfied our basic needs we still have further needs that must be met – and that is the need of our mind. To live, man must think. We are thinking beings and we can wonder about the world around us. Re...