This book is far more than just a biography of Spinoza.

It serves as a profound and important historical exploration into the Jewish history in Western Europe.

The author has done an excellent job in writing, presenting a vivid and detailed account of Spinoza's life and times.

The editing is also top-notch, ensuring that the text flows smoothly and is free from errors.

Moreover, the extensive documentation provides a solid foundation for the author's claims and interpretations.

Readers will not only gain a better understanding of Spinoza as a philosopher but also gain valuable insights into the broader historical context in which he lived.

This book is a must-read for anyone interested in Jewish history, philosophy, or the history of Western Europe.

It is a remarkable work that combines scholarship with engaging writing, making it accessible to a wide range of readers.

Goldstein presents an interesting theory. She posits that the Portuguese Nation's arduous struggle to regain Judaism following the Inquisition had a profound impact on Spinoza, driving him towards a philosophy that was liberated from the identity foisted upon him at birth. She contends that true freedom is attained only when we cast aside the arbitrarily acquired definitions of ourselves and embrace universal truths. According to Goldstein, this is no mere coincidence. She subtly implies a comparison between the Sephardic transition to Holland and the tense, border-sensitive ambiance of American Ashkenazic Judaism in the aftermath of the Holocaust. This comparison serves to highlight the complex and often fraught nature of Jewish identity and the search for freedom and truth within different historical and cultural contexts.

This was a celebration for myself, Rosh Hashanah 5779.

Rosh Hashanah is a very special and significant holiday in the Jewish calendar. It marks the beginning of the new year and is a time for reflection, repentance, and looking forward to the future.

For me, this particular Rosh Hashanah was especially meaningful. It was a time to take a step back from the busyness of life and focus on my inner self. I spent time thinking about the past year, the things I had accomplished, and the areas where I wanted to improve.

I also took the opportunity to connect with my loved ones and share in the joy and celebration of the holiday. We gathered together for a delicious meal, filled with traditional Jewish dishes and lots of laughter and conversation.

Overall, this Rosh Hashanah was a wonderful and memorable experience for me. It reminded me of the importance of taking time for myself, reflecting on my life, and surrounding myself with the people I love. I look forward to many more Rosh Hashanahs to come.

The book didn't meet my expectations.

To begin with, it commences with a discourse on her childhood and her days in Yeshiva. Her recollections of what she was taught there regarding Spinoza made me want to laugh and cry simultaneously!

After that, she delves into a discussion of Jewish history prior to Spinoza - the Marranos and so on. A significant portion of the book elapses before she commences discussing Spinoza, his life, and his philosophy.

Nonetheless, it was engaging to read, and I gleaned a great deal from it - not solely about Spinoza.

Goldstein's book offers an engaging and accessible account of Spinoza's life and philosophy.

Spinoza is often grouped with Descartes and Leibniz, the other prominent rationalist philosophers of the 17th century. In the present day, Spinoza's deductive and a priori approach to knowledge is typically seen as opposed to the empiricism of philosophers such as David Hume. However, in the 17th century, it signified a crucial expansion of the Cartesian revolution in philosophical thought. It was an even more radical departure from the Scholasticism of Maimonides and Aquinas, whose thinking depended as much on religious revelation as on reason. Spinoza, more so than his fellow rationalists, placed human reason at the core of epistemology.

The author, who is both a philosopher and a novelist, views Spinoza within the context of the Jewish community in Amsterdam where he grew up. This suggests how the experiences of that community might have influenced his thinking. Spinoza's father had fled Portugal during the Inquisition, and the community he joined in Amsterdam remained in close contact with Spain and Portugal, where Jews were being brutally tortured and burned alive by the inquisitors.

The author's portrayal of Spinoza's inner life is necessarily speculative, as Spinoza said very little about himself and actually endeavored to completely separate his philosophy from the personal. (Hence the title _Betraying Spinoza_: The author is reintroducing the personal into the philosopher's work, precisely what he sought to avoid.)

Good book!

However, once again, I find myself frustrated by the dearth of a book on Spinoza that straightforwardly elucidates his thought for the layperson.

Admittedly, his philosophy can be as dense as a thicket of brambles, making it a challenging task to untangle and understand.

But one wonders how difficult it would truly be to present his ideas in a more accessible manner for the general reader.

What we need is less emphasis on his early life in Holland and how it influenced his philosophy, and more focus on the Ethics and its relevance to our modern world.

A book that can effectively bridge the gap between Spinoza's complex ideas and the comprehension of the average reader would be a valuable addition to the literature.

It could potentially open up a new world of understanding and appreciation for this important philosopher.

Hopefully, such a book will be written in the near future, providing a much-needed resource for those interested in exploring Spinoza's thought.

This is a truly strange book.

It is not so much about Spinoza himself, but rather delves deeply into the wide context of his life and work.

One might expect a book to focus primarily on the philosopher's ideas and theories, but this one takes a different approach.

It explores the historical, social, and cultural backdrop against which Spinoza lived and developed his philosophy.

By doing so, it provides a more comprehensive understanding of the man and his work.

We learn about the events and circumstances that influenced his thinking, as well as the people he interacted with.

This broader perspective enriches our appreciation of Spinoza's contributions and helps us to see his ideas in a new light.

Overall, this strange book offers a unique and valuable exploration of Spinoza's life and work.

This is a truly beautiful book. It is a unique combination of memoir, intellectual biography, Jewish history, and philosophical argument.

Although Goldstein doesn't seem to be a religious Jew herself, she skillfully navigates between Spinoza's critiques of Jewish theology, his naturalistic conception of God, her own childhood frustrations with Hebrew school, and the deeply felt religious feelings of Spinoza's community. She appears to be really invested in understanding what religious practice, theology, and mysticism meant to the Portuguese Jews of Amsterdam. I really appreciate her fair and even-handed approach. This is not a New Atheist polemic, but a thoughtful exploration of the intersections of religion, history, and philosophy in the life of Spinoza.

(Aside: Her husband, the evolutionary psychologist Steven Pinker, could learn a thing or two from this book about how to write critically about religion without being patronizing, demeaning, or dismissive.)

Goldstein does an excellent job of situating Spinoza within the intellectual, political, and cultural life of 17th-century Europe. Her explanations of Spinoza's major ideas in the "Ethics" are cogent, and she manages to really convey how embodied and affective Spinoza's approach to rationality and reason was.

Goldstein paints a detailed picture of Spinoza's life, engaging in some creative, novelistic speculation about certain details of his life, even while being aware that Spinoza would probably have hated this focus on the biographical details of his life and upbringing. The result is truly stunning.

This book truly deserves a more detailed review.

It is a remarkably good one that has left a profound impression on me.

The story is engaging, the characters are well-developed, and the writing style is captivating.

However, I find myself in a bit of a dilemma.

I feel that I need to let my thoughts steep for a while before I can do justice to this wonderful book in my review.

There are so many aspects that I want to explore and analyze, but I want to make sure that I can present my thoughts clearly and comprehensively.

So, for now, I will take my time to reflect on the book and allow my understanding of it to deepen.

Once I feel that I have a better grasp of its essence, I will sit down and write a detailed review that does justice to this remarkable piece of literature.

“Betraying Spinoza” is not just a straightforward biography of the 17th-century philosopher Baruch Spinoza. On the surface, it seems that way, but at its core, the book is a captivating blend of memoir, history, and a speculative biographical narrative.

The author delves into Spinoza and his work from multiple perspectives. She discovers similarities between her own upbringing as an orthodox Jew and the philosopher's background and ideas. She explores the history of the Spanish and Portuguese Marranos and the establishment and growth of Amsterdam's Sephardic Jewish community to better understand Spinoza's views on religion and Jewish identity. Finally, she concludes with a lengthy, speculative (yet not entirely fictional) account of the philosopher's life, from his childhood as a talented yeshiva student, through his excommunication from the Amsterdam Jewish community, to the final moments before his untimely death. This is all interspersed with passages from the “Tractatus Theologico-Politicus” and his magnum opus, “The Ethics”. The result is a sympathetic (albeit thoroughly un- or even anti-Spinozist) and touching portrayal of Spinoza as both a philosopher and a human being.

As someone who had always known Spinoza mainly as a footnote to Descartes, I found this book to be an enlightening and engaging read. Goldstein brings her novelist's sensibilities to the composition, while still maintaining its scholarly rigor.

Baruch Spinoza, an almost Renaissance man, has a fascinating philosophical history. Goldstein does an excellent job of describing both his work and the times in which he lived.

Her stated aim was not only to understand his work but also the man himself. She presents a plausible picture of Spinoza without making any judgments about his psyche, which is all the better since her expertise lies in philosophy and history.

Her book carefully defines the beliefs that Spinoza held and explores what experiences and learning likely led him to arrive at those beliefs.

Surprisingly, many of the issues that Spinoza grappled with are still open and relevant today. His ideas continue to inspire and challenge philosophers and thinkers alike, making his work an important part of the history of philosophy.

Overall, Goldstein's book is a valuable contribution to the study of Spinoza and provides a detailed and engaging look at his life and work.

By far my favorite Goldstein book. It is truly a remarkable piece of work that has left a profound impact on me.

And to imagine how Spinoza would feel were he to be alive today where identity politics is the philosophy the narcissistic masses embrace. It is a fascinating thought experiment. Spinoza, with his rational and enlightened views, might be both intrigued and dismayed.

On one hand, he might be interested in observing how people define themselves and form groups based on various identities. On the other hand, he might be concerned about the potential divisiveness and narrow-mindedness that can come with an overemphasis on identity politics.

Goldstein's exploration of these ideas in her book provides a valuable perspective and invites us to think deeply about the nature of identity and its role in our society. It challenges us to consider whether we are allowing identity politics to overshadow the common humanity that unites us all.

In conclusion, this book not only offers an engaging read but also prompts us to reflect on important philosophical and social questions. It is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the complex issues surrounding identity in the modern world.