The Book of Opposites is a title shared by at least three distinct published works: a novel by John David Morley, a children's board book by Sarah Dyer, and a children's philosophical picture book by Jeremy Fogel illustrated by Noma Bar.
1. Novel by John David Morley (2010)
The Book of Opposites (2010) is a novel by British author John David Morley. It was published by Max Press (ISBN 1-906251-07-X) and runs 208 pages. The novel is a love story set in Berlin in the aftermath of the fall of the Berlin Wall. It begins with a Mercedes 600 plunging off the Glienicker Bridge, which formerly connected East and West Berlin. The narrative incorporates themes of love, death, precognition, paradox, yoga, and quantum mechanics. The book has been described as a philosophical mystery novel. Author Ian McEwan called it "a bold and fascinating mystery novel of ideas."
2. Children's Board Book by Sarah Dyer (2016)
The Book of Opposites (2016) is a children's board book illustrated by Sarah Dyer, published by Templar Publishing in London (ISBN 9781783704132). It is an introductory book for toddlers (ages 1+) that teaches the concept of opposites. It includes themed sections such as "Animal Opposites" (fast and slow, tall and short) and "Building Opposites" (small and big, upstairs and downstairs). The book is 14 unnumbered pages and uses colorful illustrations to present objects for young readers to identify and name.
3. Children's Philosophical Book by Jeremy Fogel, illustrated by Noma Bar
The Book of Opposites is also a children's book written by philosopher Jeremy Fogel and illustrated by Noma Bar. It presents philosophical concepts through paired opposites such as big and small, same and different, beautiful and ugly, rich and poor, good and evil, and asleep and awake. The book references philosophers including Heraclitus, Plato, Kant, Rousseau, and Zhuangzi, and poses questions such as "Why is there something rather than nothing?" and "Are you awake right now or are you dreaming?" Noma Bar's illustrations use negative space and visual reversal to visually represent the concept of the unity of opposites. The book is designed to encourage children to think philosophically about contradiction, change, and identity.
