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)

Short and sweet summary, not bad at all

liked it and had no problem listening just felt like the bulk of it was already known through YouTube honestly

For Philosohy lovers and what are we doing here?

Excellent, to the point, interesting and easy to follow. A must for the big questions of life!

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.

too much fluff

author added a lot of their own color and opinions. unless one is in the philosophical know, not helpful

Excellent Overview

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

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.

Short and a hint of humor

Author has a knack of finding humor in right places, without sounding pompous or cocky. 90 minutes is a good introduction. Most of others ‘ xxx in 90 minutes’ are good too

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.

Excellent, as usual.

Strathern’s concise summaries of historical figures are always enjoyable; and couldn’t ask for a better narrator than Whitfield. A great pairing for presenting these figures.

Wonderful to hear the great depths of Spinoza!

A dearest friend of mine has shared their excitement and joy in readings Spinoza's experiences, reflections & oberservations of the life he lead. This was a wonderful novel that revealed to me a great deal of insight into the marvelous flows of his life.