Elements of philosophy

the long version

The third edition (1993) is by far the best single-volume introductory textbook I have ever encountered. Stumpf breaks down the complexities of each thinker's philosophies into well-organized and easily-understood summaries. Once the student has some familiarity with the material, Stumpf offers excerpted readings from the philosophers themselves so that nuances will not bypass the students. High school students in my philosophy course routinely take this book off to college with them and willingly pay the school's replacement fee. Unfortunately, we are running low because this gem is no longer in print.