He was involved in a research project at Leeds University under George MacDonald Ross into ways to shift philosophy teaching in the UK away from its tradional approach of treating the subject as the study philosophical facts, towards a view of philosophy as an activity. In this context , his two books 101 Philosophy Problems and 101 Ethical Dilemmas (both Routledge) which have been translated into 15 languages and sold over 100 000 copies, have made him an influential exponent. 

In fact, the original inspiration for the structure of the 101 Philosophy Problems came from the research into 'Teaching Methods in Philosophy' in the 1990s - for which Martin was both the research assistant and a seminar teacher. MacDonald's aim was to move this traditionally conservative department (witha belief in the preeminence of 'logic') away from 'lectures' by philosophy experts to active discussions amongst equals. Part of this strategy involved the production of one page 'problems'. These had to be suitable for a small group of students from quite different academic backgrounds to discuss. It is this element Martin later took much further in the 101 Philosophy Problems.

However, the price of advocating innovation has necessarily been to operate on the fringes of an immovably conservative and inward-looking philosophical establishment. But then, as Cohen says, it is always on the margins that the most interesting things are to be found.

His most recent books are an accessible reference work, the Essentials of  Philosophy and Ethics (Hodder 2006) and a radical political survey of the world structured as a travel guide: No Holiday: 80 Places You Don't Want to Visit (Disinformation Company). He has also written a book on Thought Experiments for Blackwell (Wittgenstein's Beetle, 2004), a history of Political Philosophy (Political Philosophy from Plato to Mao, second edition 2008), an 'anti-history' of  'great philosophers (Philosophical Tales (Blackwell, 2008) and a third '101' investigating the mysteries of consciousness, 101 Thought Experiments (forthcoming 2009).

He now lives and writes mainly in Normandy, with Judit', an artist and sculptor, and Milo, a very small rugby player.

More 101 links are here:

Two typical examples of philosophical problems are here.
A series of pages on his '101' books and their pedagogical aims, uses and intentions are here.

Martin Cohen can be contacted via the general website email: thephilosophicalsociety@yahoo.co.uk