Title: Game of Thrones and Philosophy: Logic Cuts Deeper Than Swords
Author: Henry Jacoby (editor)
Genre: non-fiction, books on TV, fantasy

Game of Thrones and philosophy in the same sentence? This pop culture/philosophy mash-up caught my eye because 1. Game of Thrones is my favorite show and I need something to hold me over until next year, 2. Since I'm going back to school, I thought this book would help get my brain back into a semi-scholarly mode.

Topic Covered                                     Case Study
biomedical ethics                                   Bran Stark, Khal Drogo
metaphysics                                           direwolves, wargs, wights
evil & injustice                                       Cersei (need we say more?)
moral luck vs. moral responsibility          Tyrion Lannister
cultural relativism                                    Dany
fatalism                                                  "Winter is Coming"
game theory                                           Lannisters' modus operandi
why be moral?                                       Joffrey Baratheon

Other topics include Ned Stark's idealism and how/why that ended badly for him; epistemology- "what we know, how we know it, and what it means to know something" (143)- "You know nothing, Jon Snow"; the dangers of chivalry (keeps women dependent and narrowly defined gender roles & societal roles for both sexes); virtue ethic theory (how to lead the good life), and the golden rule of game theory: "Understand others as they understand themselves" (262).

Sounds mind numbing, but the essays are written in down-to-earth styles (with some humor here and there) and really helps the reader think about the characters and "what makes them tick" and they approach life.