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

Paul Strathern (Author)

Book Description

Series: Philosophers in 90 Minutes Series | Publication Date: September 1, 1996

“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

From Library Journal

Strathern, a graduate of Dublin's Trinity College, has lectured in philosophy and mathematics and written history, travel literature, and fiction. His attempt to provide the reader with accessible guidance to the ideas of a half dozen great names in the canon of Western philosophy fails on all counts except readability. The time given in the title for each presentation is about three times that even the least-informed reader might require, for these books are nothing but outlines. Half of each volume highlights the more peculiar details of the individual philosopher's personal life, with passing remarks about one or two substantive ideas from his work. The remaining pages include surprisingly brief quotations from the works (an epigraphic style suitable to presenting a sample of Nietzsche's writing but hardly appropriate to Kant's), chronologies (including one five-page "Philosophical Dates" that is repeated in each tiny volume), and a suggestion of four or five books for further reading. The intended audience for this series is unclear as there is too little substance to provide either the sort of introduction offered by such competing works as the Writers and Readers's illustrated series "For Beginners" (e.g., Robert Cavalier's Plato for Beginners, 1990) or critical understanding of difficult concepts as Frederick Copleston and William Jones have achieved in their histories of Western thought (e.g., Copleston's A History of Philosophy, 1985). Strathern's publisher promises more than a dozen future volumes in this series but, given the severe limitations of the first six under review here, it is not possible to recommend that we look forward to them.?Francisca Goldsmith, Berkeley P.L., Cal.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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 The Boston Globe )

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

Paul Strathern offers a concise, expert account of Descartes’ life and ideas. (Audible.Com )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 91 pages
• Publisher: Ivan R. Dee (September 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1566631297
• ISBN-13: 978-1566631297
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.1 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #477,157 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #11 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Nonfiction > Philosophy > History, 17th & 18th Century
  • #40 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Nonfiction > Philosophy > Logic & Language
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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining, amusing, interesting., November 19, 1998

By 

Yair Doza ([e-mail]) (Cambridge UK) - See all my reviews

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

Descartes, is the second of Paul Strathern 90 min philosophy books I read. While reading the third (after 75 min) I had to find out if there are other books by Strathern. I was worried that I will run out of his books. The description of historic relevance, the irony of the situation described in this book are excellent. I must admit that the philosophy bit goes over my head, but the crumbs I understand are sufficient to please me. I am definitely going to read a few more books by Strathern

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another winner from Strathern!, August 31, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Las Vegas, Nevada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Descartes in 90 Minutes (Philosophers in 90 Minutes Series) (Hardcover)

Strathern is a master at this kind of work, which mixes biography, critical analysis, historical context and humor all in a concise, informative & entertaining package. He lists a time line for the philosopher, his place in world/philosophic history & a selection of works for furthur reading. This series of books by Strathern is a wonderful course in Philosophy 101 without ever having to go to college, all presented in plain, easy to understand English without being bogged down with philosophy's often confusing vernacular.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining biography, but philosophy too sketchy, April 1, 2001

By 

E. Uthman "Ed" (Houston, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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

Anyone who attempts to make philosophy accessible to non-academics certainly has the tip of my hat, but DESCARTES IN 90 MINUTES sacrifices too much substance in the interest of readability. This book would be OK for a high school student preparing a short paper or presentation on French philosopher/mathematician Rene Descarte, but for those of us who are motivated by anything more than casual curiosity about philosophers will be left unsatisfied.

I did learn quite a few facts from this very clearly-written book, such as Descarte's odd sleeping habits, his apparent facility in composing musical verse, and his compulsive wanderlust. The problem is that biographies of Great Thinkers just don't have a lot of impact without including some exposition of their Great Thoughts. "I think, therefore I am," is about as deep as it gets here.