Spinoza in 90 Minutes

By: Paul Strathern

Narrated by: Robert Whitfield

Length: 1 hr and 11 mins

Publisher's summary

Spinoza's brilliant metaphysical system was derived neither from reality nor experience. Starting from basic assumptions, with a series of geometric proofs he built a universe which was also God, one and the same thing, the classic example of pantheism. Although his system seems an oddity today, Spinoza's conclusions are deeply in accord with modern thought, from science (the holistic ethics of today's ecologists) to politics (the idea that the state exists to protect the individual). Both Spinoza's system and conclusions have compelling beauty unequaled in the history of philosophy.

In Spinoza in 90 Minutes, Paul Strathern offers a concise, expert account of Spinoza's life and ideas, and explains their influence on man's struggle to understand his existence in the world. The book also includes selections from Spinoza's work, a brief list of suggested readings for those who wish to delve deeper, and chronologies that place Spinoza within his own age and in the broader scheme of philosophy.

©1998 Paul Strathern (P)2004 Blackstone Audiobooks

Critic reviews

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

Very Useful for the Beginner

It can take a lot to sit down and digest 17th century Philosophy. I was interested in Spinoza because he's often mentioned as a proponent of Pantheism. The narrator is excellent (the same, BTW, as for A Short History of Everything - 5 stars). 90 minutes was just about right. Very useful for getting acquianted with Spinoza for the first time.

It felt.like an undergrad research paper.

While it started with a nice tongue-in-cheek style and have a decent biography of the man, the book itself mostly expressed the author's opinions on the philosophy with little support. It felt like an undergrad research paper than an introduction to the works of one of the giants of philosophy.

Silly Spinoza

This version of "90 Minutes" wasn't as good as the one on Hegel. The author made Spinoza out to be pretty goofy and introverted, more interested in eating raisin soup than educating others in philosophy. Id like to have heard more about his ideas of pantheism, than his eating habits. According to the author Spinoza died early because of his grinding away at lenses, which he swallowed and caused him to die at an early age.

Interesting, clear and enticing

This is a good introduction to Spinoza's life and work. Reading his work will be easier since we already can place them within the context of his time and life.

Straight to the point!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, I would. This book was a great way to familiarize one-self with Spinoza quickly and efficiently.

What other book might you compare Spinoza in 90 Minutes to and why?

This question does not compute. Clearly audible made poor choices in outsourcing this website. lol

What does Robert Whitfield bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

WTF? this question is unanswerable.

If you could give Spinoza in 90 Minutes a new subtitle, what would it be?

I would not.

Any additional comments?

Again, great audio book, straight to the point and useful.

Excellent Overview

Easy listening yet informative. Provides a quick summary of Spinoza' courageous radical thoughts on god.

Outstanding synopsis of a complex philosophy and a compelling man

Distilling Spinoza’s ideas into a concise and cogent package is a daunting task, however Paul Strathern succeeds admirably. The playful and entertaining narration of Robert Whitfield enhances this enlightening book. Highly recommended for those who have some familiarity with the underpinnings of western philosophy.

Entertaining and Enlightening

A fascinating story. Although, from the description, I suspect Spinoza was more of a panentheist than a pantheist. In any case, this intro to Spinoza made me keen to learn more. Given the apparent opacity of Spinoza's writing, I am sure this lively overview will prove helpful.

One of my Favorite

This was one of my favorite episodes in the philosophy in 90 minutes series of books.

Great summary of this relevant philosopher

Really enjoyed the concise, compelling and at times entertaining description of Spinoza. I recommend it.