I And Thou by Martin Buber Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of I And Thou
Book Review: Life-Changing
Summary: 5 Stars
This small book is obscure at times and difficult to grasp, yet it completely changed my life. I honestly think Buber wrote it poetically to encourage the reader to slow down and potentially I have a true encounter with the ideas. Most of Buber's later books seem to be developing the ideas expounded in I and Thou, so it might be helpful to read another Buber text, like Between Man and Man, alongside I and Thou. He becomes his own commentary. If you have the patience, I think you'll find this book opens a whole new perspective on relationships, our perspective on the world, and the potential for truly divine encounters.Book Review: Hmmm...
Summary: 2 Stars
There is something about the German language (perhaps it's the abundance of compound words, or the complicated grammar) that promotes this kind of philosophy - by - obfuscation. The phenomenon is widespread, (cf. Hegel, Heidegger, Adorno, et al). Take a relatively simple idea, preferrably one based on sentiment rather than logic, and then try to convey it as obscurely as possible through the use of compound words, vast sentences brimming with dependent clauses, and the most paradoxical lines of reasoning available. The result will then be hailed as a masterpiece by those who make a living out of teaching courses on this material (and those who take the courses and are afraid to admit they didn't understand much).Out of the idea that the relations of the self to others are very important (and that God is the most important of those others), Buber has crafted this impenatrable monstrosity. Sadly, there are many others like him out there, whose livelihood comes from being as verbose as humanly possible. I recommend as an antidote Popper's wonderful little essay "Against Big Words."
Book Review: wisest book written this century
Summary: 5 Stars
This is the wisest book written in the last hundred years. If religion is to survive in the next millenium, it will be because of books like I and Thou. While the Kaufmann translation is difficult (I prefer Gregor Smith's version) I can't imagine a better way to spend one's time than lovingly reading I and Thou.Book Review: An important work: Antidote for a self-centered age
Summary: 5 Stars
Buber describes in detail the mechanism of what might be called Self (big 'S') and self (small 's'). It is with works like this that positive change can enter, and heal, the foundational relationships that shape human existence, and thus our world. Bravo!Book Review: That is quite a book...
Summary: 1 Stars
I don't know if I've ever seen (much less attempted to read) anything that obscure. I'm not sure this book isn't a hoax. Compared to it the proceedings of the 26 Congress of CPSU were a straight-forward, tight and logical document