Cogito, Ergo Sum: The Life of Rene Descartes

Rating:
Summary: The best biography of Descartes
Review: This is a charmingly written, eminently accessible biography of the Father of Modern Philosophy. Watson brings to life, not only Descartes in all of his complexity, but his circle of acquaintances, both friend and foe. Details of Descartes's life are interspersed with the author's account of his own travels in Europe in search of the true Descartes. Begin with the Prologue--"On the Zeedijk" and you will be unable to put the book down. Highly recommend for anyone with a passing interest in life in 17th Century Europe as well as for anyone seeking a vivid portrayal of one of the most influential philosophers.

Rating:
Summary: Cogito Ergo Sum: The Life of Rene Descartes
Review: This is truly dreadful book.

The author attempts to do something loosely along the lines of Samuel Eliot Morison's "Admiral of the Ocean Sea," a fascinating, though dated, book that combines Morison's knowledge of the sea and sailing with a biography of Columbus. The author of "Cogito Ergo Sum," however, fails entirely.

In Wilson's effort - a very thin volume for a book purporting to be a biography of a major intellectual figure - we read almost as much about Wilson and his wife touring locations in Europe as we do about Descartes. The result is something a little like a poorly written script for one of those old corny school film strips.

Wilson never comes to grips with what makes Descartes great, and the vocabulary he uses - when he isn't saying things like "Gee!" or "Awesome!" - is that tiresome, annoying one typical of American social science academics of the second or third order.

The book actually contains errors regarding the period that even an amateur can spot.

This book is recommended only to be avoided.