This superb abridgement and annotated translation of Maimonides' monumental work includes discussions of divine language, the scope and limits of human knowledge, cosmological doctrines concerning the creation or eternity of the world, prophecy and providence, the nature and purpose of divine law, and moral and political philosophy.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
A Question of translation:
This English translation--is it directly from the Hebaic-Arabic of the
12 century or is it from the translation into Hebrew during RAMBAM's lifetime or later translation into Hebrew?
Guide unread:
Haven't had time to read it. It WAS poorly packed and the cover and some pages were folded back.
A clear guide to contemporary difficult questions:
I found this book clear and directly related to questions that perplexed me. Often Maimonides' answers are more clear and direct than anything I ever heared. I was most impressed by his explanation for the original sin and for Adam expulsion from paradise. Of course, it had nothing to do with sex. The sin was in that God gave the mind to Adam to think for himself. But thinking is too hard. Adam refused to think. Instead he ate from the tree of knowledge, that is he acquired "shortcuts," "rules of thumb,"... more info
Monument of rabbinical exegis and not a philosophical treatise:
The appreciation of the book will depend greatly on your level of comfort with the rabbinical view. If you seek a philosophical approach you might be better of with Aristotle and modern science, and if you are interested in rabbinical exegis then go to the source and study the Talmud and other works. Maimonides possesses immense authority and is distanced from us by many centuries. He gives invaluable insight into certain issues but at the same time creates or entrenches other fundamental perplexities open... more info
