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Audiobooks > Philosophy >  General Philosophy > The Dream of Reason: A History of Philosophy from the Greeks to the Renaissance
The Dream of Reason: A History of Philosophy from the Greeks to the Renaissance Audiobook, by Anthony Gottlieb Play Audiobook Sample

The Dream of Reason: A History of Philosophy from the Greeks to the Renaissance Audiobook

By: Anthony Gottlieb
The Dream of Reason: A History of Philosophy from the Greeks to the Renaissance Audiobook, by Anthony Gottlieb Play Audiobook Sample
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This audiobook is no longer available through the publisher and we don't know if or when it will become available again. Please check out similar audiobooks below, and click the "Vote this up!" button to let us know you're interested in this title. This audiobook has 5 votes
Read By: Wanda McCaddon Publisher: Blackstone Publishing Listen Time: at 1.0x Speed 12.00 hours at 1.5x Speed 9.00 hours at 2.0x Speed Release Date: March 2003 Format: Unabridged Audiobook ISBN: 9781481596992
2.99643356643357 out of 52.99643356643357 out of 52.99643356643357 out of 52.99643356643357 out of 52.99643356643357 out of 5 (3.00) - 286 listener ratings
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Quick Stats About this Audiobook

Total Audiobook Chapters:

18

Longest Chapter Length:

130:37 minutes

Shortest Chapter Length:

08:36 minutes

Average Chapter Length:

60:15 minutes

Audiobooks by this Author:

3

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The Dream of Reason, New Edition: A History of Western Philosophy from the Greeks to the Renaissance Audiobook, by Anthony Gottlieb

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Publisher Description

In this landmark study of Western thought, Anthony Gottlieb looks afresh at the writings of our great thinkers of classic philosophy and questions many pieces of conventional wisdom. From the pre-Socratic philosophers like Empedocles, through the celebrated days of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, and up to the Renaissance visionaries like Erasmus and Bacon, Gottlieb traces the progress of our philosophy as a phenomenon unconfined by any one discipline. Through example and anecdote, he builds a vivid portrait of the human drive for understanding, providing a fresh appreciation of the philosophical quest, its entertaining and bizarre byways, and its influence on every aspect of life.

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"A very thorough overview of philosophers, mostly Greek, some Roman, after Rome was condensed, but still seemed to cover in detail. The book is a fairly slow read, but the writing style is enjoyable with bits of humor in an indepth discussion of each philosopher or school."

— Vivian (4 out of 5 stars)

Quotes

  • “[Gottlieb] writes with fluency and lucidity, with a gift for making even difficult matters seem comprehensible.”

    — New York Times

  • “Gottlieb is as enjoyable as he is intellectually stimulating.”

    — Los Angeles Times

  • “A wonderful book.”

    — New York Review of Books

  •  “Gottlieb’s elegant survey brings a breath of fresh air.”

    — Publishers Weekly

  • “His book…supplant[s] all others, even the immensely successful History of Western Philosophy by Bertrand Russell.”

    — A. C. Grayling, author of The Good Book

  • “[Wanda McCaddon’s] reading of this refreshing history is tuned to Gottlieb’s delicate irony as he traces his history from the pre-Socratics to Descartes…[McCaddon’s] reading catches his narrative excitement. She is at once glib, catchy, erudite, but above all entertaining.”

    — AudioFile

Awards

  • A Los Angeles Times Best Book
  • A 2001 Times Literary Supplement Best Book
  • One of the 2001 New York Times Book Review 100 Notable Books for Nonfiction

The Dream of Reason Listener Reviews

Overall Performance: 2.875 out of 52.875 out of 52.875 out of 52.875 out of 52.875 out of 5 (2.88)
5 Stars: 1
4 Stars: 3
3 Stars: 8
2 Stars: 1
1 Stars: 3
Narration: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 (0.00)
5 Stars: 0
4 Stars: 0
3 Stars: 0
2 Stars: 0
1 Stars: 0
Story: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 (0.00)
5 Stars: 0
4 Stars: 0
3 Stars: 0
2 Stars: 0
1 Stars: 0
Write a Review
  • Overall Performance: 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5

    " If you like history and philosophy, pick this book up. I loved the audiobook narration. Its not boring at all if youre interested in philosophers lives & how they interacted with each other thru history. I enjoyed it alot! "

    — Nik, 12/29/2013
  • Overall Performance: 1 out of 51 out of 51 out of 51 out of 51 out of 5

    " Couldn't get through it. Interesting how naive people were just 100 and 200 years ago. Hard to believe that trend will continue, but it probably will. "

    — Kendar88, 11/7/2013
  • Overall Performance: 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5

    " Very difficult to follow....glad I made it through it all! "

    — Jacqueline, 9/16/2013
  • Overall Performance: 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5

    " I found this history of western thought and reason a relatively easy read. "

    — Scott, 8/14/2013
  • Overall Performance: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5

    " Excellent history. Well presented with interesting commentary. "

    — Craig, 7/19/2013
  • Overall Performance: 2 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 5

    " too much of the author's opinion, not enough history. The author seems to think he can know what someone's intentions were 2500 years ago. "

    — Joshua, 5/9/2013
  • Overall Performance: 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5

    " I like philosophy, which I discovered in first year university, which I followed up with many more classes... So this book was in my field of interest. "

    — Tiffany, 12/26/2012
  • Overall Performance: 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5

    " This was a great history lesson in the development of western philosophy. The manner in which Gottlieb covers difficult concepts make them easy to understand and definitely contributed to my enjoyment of this particular book. "

    — Kevin, 11/27/2012
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5

    " Excellent overview of philosophy, or history of ideas, from the Pre-socratics up to Descartes, but with plenty of informative asides to later philosophers. "

    — Dan, 8/18/2012
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5

    " Full of surprises and disappointments. In general, much of the history of philosophy is deflationary to the human ego. Full intellectual satisfaction practically is non-existent. And so, now, I'm still waiting for Gottlieb's next volume. "

    — Ernest, 1/9/2012
  • Overall Performance: 1 out of 51 out of 51 out of 51 out of 51 out of 5

    " Couldn't get into. I tried dozens of times... "

    — Dan, 7/10/2011
  • Overall Performance: 1 out of 51 out of 51 out of 51 out of 51 out of 5

    " Couldn't get through it. Interesting how naive people were just 100 and 200 years ago. Hard to believe that trend will continue, but it probably will. "

    — Kendar88, 3/27/2011
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5

    " Full of surprises and disappointments. In general, much of the history of philosophy is deflationary to the human ego. Full intellectual satisfaction practically is non-existent. And so, now, I'm still waiting for Gottlieb's next volume. "

    — Ernest, 11/26/2010
  • Overall Performance: 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5

    " I found this history of western thought and reason a relatively easy read. "

    — Scott, 2/1/2010
  • Overall Performance: 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5

    " I like philosophy, which I discovered in first year university, which I followed up with many more classes... So this book was in my field of interest. "

    — Tiffany, 10/1/2009
  • Overall Performance: 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5

    " This was a great history lesson in the development of western philosophy. The manner in which Gottlieb covers difficult concepts make them easy to understand and definitely contributed to my enjoyment of this particular book. "

    — Kevin, 4/4/2007

About Anthony Gottlieb

Anthony Gottlieb was the executive editor of the Economist from 1984 until 2006. He studied philosophy at Cambridge University and University College, London, and has been a visiting fellow at Harvard University. He has written articles and book reviews for the New York Times. He is a visiting scholar at New York University and a fellow of the New York Institute for the Humanities.

About Wanda McCaddon

Wanda McCaddon (d. 2023) narrated well over six hundred titles for major audiobook publishers, sometimes with the pseudonym Nadia May or Donada Peters. She earned the prestigious Audio Award for best narration and numerous Earphones Awards. She was named a Golden Voice by AudioFile magazine.