[primelens]

Apart from Russel's book, Will Durant's _The Story of Philosophy_ provides a fun light introduction. If you'd rather read primary texts there are many choices - the history of philosophy can seem like a summit conference between dazzlingly brilliant but at the same time really dense, almost obtuse masterworks. I'd recommend starting with Plato's _Republic_, skipping forward to Descartes' _Meditations_ and then directly on to Wittgenstein's _Philosophical Investigations_ for a whirlwind tour of the subject with three of the sharpest people you'll ever meet. If you finish these three, I would bet that you'll continue to read on your own and will forever remain a student of philosophy.