Plato in 90 Minutes

By: Paul Strathern

Narrated by: Robert Whitfield

Length: 1 hr and 12 mins

Publisher's summary

In an age when philosophers had scarcely glimpsed the horizons of the mind, a boy named Aristocles decided to forgo his ambitions as a wrestler. Adopting the nickname Plato, he embarked instead on a life in philosophy. In 387 B.C. he founded the Academy, the world's first university, and taught his students that all we see is not reality but merely a reproduction of the true source. And in his famous Republic he described the politics of "the highest form of state."

In Plato in 90 Minutes, Paul Strathern offers a concise, expert account of Plato's life and ideas and explains their influence on man's struggle to understand his existence in the world.

©1996 Paul Strathern (P)2003 Blackstone Audiobooks

Less progressive opinion, more on Plato

Author needs to focus on Plato more, than on emphasizing his narrow minded opinions and assumptions on his take on Socratic and platonist philosophy. The book is called Plato in 90 minutes not progressive comparison of platonism in 90 minutes.

Informative and enjoyable!

Informative highlights with enjoyable telling and humor. I came into this only having read some of Plato's Republic and now I think I have a general understanding of his life and philosophy. Any previous knowledge is always good but definitely not needed.

In 90 Minutes Series overview

If you could sum up Plato in 90 Minutes in three words, what would they be?
aka Cliff Notes

Would you recommend Plato in 90 Minutes to your friends? Why or why not?
Yes - I've listened to each book in the series about a major philosopher that is available on Audible. Strathern's books don't have the analytical depth found in Will Durant's "The Story of Philosophy" books, but he does a good job summarizing each philosopher's biography, major philosophical points, and criticisms. Additionally, Strathern's breadth is broader than Durant's in that he covers a greater number of philosophers. I believe that the time spent listening to these books has been well-spent.

My reviews for each book in the series about a philosopher are identical.

What about Robert Whitfield’s performance did you like?
Voice is clear, well-modulated, and easily understood, even at 1 1/2 speed.

good

very straight forward and to the point. it was enjoyable to listen to for sure at the least

Concise and informative

As expected, it’s a concise look into Plato’s philosophy, relating it to the present day.

Perfect 90 min must read

Extremely well condensed and read. Great book to learn about the life of of the most important philosopher.

A fail in a good series

I like strathern but this missed so many fundamentals about plato’s narratives (which produce the concepts of his work) that i found it misguided as an overview

it's morally irreprehensible

it's quick and easy way to learn about Pluto. Which is nice because I'm learning more about morals and ethics.

Plato

I enjoyed this very much as it is informative and interesting. Now it’s time to pick up Plato again.

Great review

Great Review of an introduction into the teachings and studies of Plato. I recommend this book line that includes Socrates and Aristotle as well.
I listed in the order Socrates, Plato then Aristotle although three different works it is a great overview of the great philosophers.