Confucius in 90 Minutes (Philosophers in 90 Minutes Series) [Paperback]

Paul Strathern (Author)

Book Description

Series: Philosophers in 90 Minutes Series | Publication Date: May 4, 1999

"Each of these little books is witty and dramatic and creates a sense of time, place, and character....I cannot think of a better way to introduce oneself and one’s friends to Western civilization."—Katherine A. Powers, Boston Globe.
"Well-written, clear and informed, they have a breezy wit about them....I find them hard to stop reading."—Richard Bernstein, New York Times.
"Witty, illuminating, and blessedly concise."—Jim Holt, Wall Street Journal.
These brief and enlightening explorations of our greatest thinkers bring their ideas to life in entertaining and accessible fashion. Philosophical thought is deciphered and made comprehensive and interesting to almost everyone. Far from being a novelty, each book is a highly refined appraisal of the philosopher and his work, authoritative and clearly presented.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Paul Strathern's little book on Confucius is one of the most cursory in his series of "90-Minute" texts on the great philosophers of history--but then, there really isn't that much known about Confucius's life that Strathern could discuss. Circumstances being what they are, we get a brief biographical sketch and a rough outline of the Chinese sage's principles, as well as a useful guide to the differences between Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism. But Confucius in 90 Minutes is probably best left to the Strathern completists; those seeking an introduction to Confucianism might more profitably peruse Confucius Speaks.

Review

Well-written, clear and informed, they have a breezy wit about them...I find them hard to stop reading. (Bernstein, Richard New York Times )

Witty, illuminating, and blessedly concise. (Jim Holt Wall Street Journal )

Each of these little books is witty and dramatic and creates a sense of time, place, and character...I cannot think of a better way to introduce oneself and one's friends to Western civilization. (Katherine A. Powers Boston Globe )

A godsend in this era of the short attention span. (Daryl Royster Alexander New York Times )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 97 pages
• Publisher: Ivan R Dee (May 4, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1566632382
• ISBN-13: 978-1566632386
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,010,752 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #66 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Nonfiction > Philosophy > Logic & Language
  • #98 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Religion & Spirituality > Other Eastern Religions > Eastern Philosophy
  • #99 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Nonfiction > Philosophy > Greek & Roman

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice, brief book, January 23, 2002

By 

From_Plano_TX "a_customer_from_plano" (Plano, TX USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Confucius in 90 Minutes (Philosophers in 90 Minutes Series) (Paperback)

I was very interested in reading more about Confucius after reading "Socrates, Buddha, Confucius, Jesus" by Karl Jaspers. Strathern's brief book reinforced some of what Jaspers said, but with much easier language. This book won't tell you a lot about Confucius and his teachings, but will let you know if you want to do any more reading. I liked his recommendation of Arthur Waley's translation of "The Analects." I do wish he had given just a little more recommended reading. He didn't suggest "The Wisdom of Confucius" by Lin Yutang, but I recommend it. This "90 minute" book is a light, quick read, which suited me at the time. Now I want to read more about Confucius (the Lin Yutang book). I like the 90 minute series and intend to read more of these volumes. Modern business just doesn't give you the luxury of time to read about philosophy. So for authors that I'm not sure I want to spend much time on, the 90 minute series is great. Strathern is a clever man. He didn't just write a book. He created a product line with a recognizable "90 minute" brand label!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A good beginning, March 22, 2005

By 

Shalom Freedman "Shalom Freedman" (Jerusalem,Israel) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Confucius in 90 Minutes (Philosophers in 90 Minutes Series) (Paperback)

Before Mao there was Confucius, and probably after Mao there will be Confucius. He is the central figure in Chinese social and political thought, and his prescriptions have been the rule - of -life among China's ruling bureaucracies for hundreds of years. In his small work Paul Strathern humorously chronicles the efforts of Confucius to provide an ethic of decency for a feudal world living through troubled times. The wisdom of Confucius is not meant to save the individual soul but rather to enable society to function decently. Confucius in his own life, Strathern makes clear was not exactly the model of success. And he died disappointed and far from the political office he would have liked to have held. But he left a legacy which Chinese civilization as a whole would adopt.
This work gives an excellent outline of Confucius life and work. It is a good beginning for anyone who wishes to explore the subject in greater depth.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars 90 Minutes of Classic philosophers, May 12, 2007

By 

L. Fargher "distinguished realtor" (Silicon Valley, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Confucius in 90 Minutes (Philosophers in 90 Minutes Series) (Paperback)

I knew some Confucius sayings and that he was a Chinese wiseman. This book painted a more detailed picture of him and left me with a full Confucius Page in my mind.