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

Paul Strathern (Author)

Book Description

Series: Philosophers in 90 Minutes Series | Publication Date: June 1, 1998

“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

Probably the easiest introduction to existentialism you'll ever find, Sartre in 90 Minutes manages to produce an intellectually credible--and slyly humorous--summary of Jean Paul Sartre's life and work in just over 70 pages. Paul Strathern ably shifts from descriptions of the open relationship between Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir to analyses of the contributions of Heidegger and Kierkegaard to Sartre's belief that life is what you make it. The jokes tend to be cynical and snarky in tone; after the publication of Being and Nothingness, for example, "word soon began to spread from the few who actually read the book to those who wished to talk about it as if they had." The philosophical exegesis, however, is spot on, the equivalent of a very good college lecture by an instructor who genuinely wants to make sure students understand the material. If you're at all interested in Sartre and existentialism, pick this book up for a quick, painless introduction.

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: 93 pages
• Publisher: Ivan R Dee (June 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1566631920
• ISBN-13: 978-1566631921
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.1 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #374,203 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #57 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Nonfiction > Philosophy > Modern
  • #63 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Nonfiction > Philosophy > Eastern > General

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars save your $4.76, July 15, 1998

By A Customer

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

I picked up this book hoping that it would help me sort through some of Sartre's basic ideas....which I found quite challenging. The book was very disappointing in this respect. It was full of generalizations and opinions and failed to give me, a newbie to sartre, any valuable help. I would spend your money on "SARTRE FOR BEGINNERS" which I found much more helpful and useful.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the problems with the internet..., March 25, 2004

By A Customer

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

One of the great things about the internet is that everyone has access to it. One of the problems with the internet is that everyone has access to it. This book "Sartre in 90 Minutes" by Paul Strathern is a fine book that doesn't pretend to be anything more than it claims to be. It is an excellent introduction to Sartre and is much more approachable than the faulty traslations from French that make reading Sartre like swimming in quicksand. Anyone who cannot gain a basic understanding of Sartre's basic premises from reading this book should give up on reading. It provides a succinct and comprehensive explanation of the philosopher, the events that shaped him and his place in history.

One always suspects that totally negative reviews are written by someone who has an ax to grind, another book they wish to promote, or by people who in failing to comprehend what they have read compensate by pointing the blame at the author rather than their own lack of lucidity.

It has been said that one million monkeys with one million typewriters could eventually dupliate the works of Shakespeare. The internet and the millions of monkeys sitting at their keyboards have proved that claim to be false.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Too thin on real info, March 12, 2008

By 

Jake Barnes "docmoog" (Birmingham, Michigan United States) - See all my reviews

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

As others have written here, skip this and get Sartre for Beginners instead. That book, while not comprehensive, does a better job of fleshing out most of his major concepts in a more useful fashion. This book you just sit down and read. The for Beginners series is a better reference that you can turn to again and again to refesh you knowledge.