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

Paul Strathern (Author)

Book Description

Series: Philosophers in 90 Minutes Series | Publication Date: September 24, 2002

"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 comprehensible 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 Booklist

Not many people have heard of the professor who planted the idea of pragmatic philosophy in Dewey's mind. Charles S. Peirce was a remarkable man who made original, often highly significant contributions to many fields, especially logic. His tutelage is most evident in what Dewey is known for: educational reform. Dewey abandoned the old unanswerable conundrums of classical philosophy, formulating the theory that what mattered was what worked for personal development, which was discovered through experimentation. This view still reigns in K-12. Gilbert Taylor
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

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

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

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 and dramatic.... I cannot think of a better way to introduce oneself and one's friends to Western civilization. (Katherine A. Powers Boston Globe )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 90 pages
• Publisher: Ivan R Dee (September 24, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 156663475X
• ISBN-13: 978-1566634755
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.1 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,269,971 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Whet's the Appetite, November 3, 2010

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

I was totally unfamiliar with Dewey's philosophy. This book motivates me to learn more not just about his thinking but about his life. I had no idea that he was held in such high regard around the world. Ironically, although his philosophy denigrates classical philosophy, which Dewey thought served no practical purpose, Dewey's philosophy, at least from the excerpts included in this tract, can be equally inaccessible. Nevertheless, his thoughts are still fascinating and require further exploration. This is one of Strathern's better summaries, as he allows the philosopher and his works to move the piece forward - Strathern does not interject himself as often with sarcasm and attempts at humor as he did in his 90-Minute book on Locke.