The Ultimate Harry Potter and Philosophy: Hogwarts for Muggles breaks down some of the bigger themes and smaller character analysis throughout the seven-book series by using theories from philosophers ranging from Socrates, Aristotle, Kant, and numerous others. While the breakdowns of themes are somewhat interesting, the issue at hand is that readers who would be interested in this book have already read the entire series, so it doesn't quite add all that much to it.

There's a particular section dedicated to Sirius Black, and whether he was more human or dog like. It seems a bit much to dedicate thousands of words when Jo Rowling once noted in the series that as a dog, Sirius felt less and became less human, and therefore never felt the pain the dementors inflicted. Does that make him more of a dog? Not really. Some of the theories investigated have long been explained by the time Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows came out three years ago - we know why Harry chose to sacrifice himself to Voldemort in the forest; we know J.K. Rowling's view on ghosts and 'moving on' after life, and its many interpretations; and we definitely, by now, know what made Severus Snape tick.

The book is more for philosophy fans than Harry Potter ones, because the essays and theories don't really add much more than we already know, from having read the books and listened to J.K. Rowling's interviews. Very rarely did I read an idea or theory throughout the book and found it to be enlightening in a 'this is brand-new information that I never thought of.' With a fandom like Harry Potter, thousands of theories and essays have been written of what death and love and faith meant in the Wizarding World, and how to accept them. If you want to read about how the ancient philosophers would have broken down the big theories of the book, this is for you, but as a general fan, the seven-book-saga is straight-forward enough.

The Ultimate Harry Potter and Philosophy: Hogwarts for Muggles can be ordered at Amazon.com.