Reviews

I and Thou by Martin Buber

tisamon's review against another edition

5.0

This review is for the Ronald Gregor Smith translation. Everyone should read it. Whether or not you agree or disagree with it, the ideas given will give you an interesting way of thinking about reality and spirituality.

lancelotlegris's review against another edition

3.0

this is probably a much better book than i am able to understand and even though it was interesting and there were a lot of moments i enjoyed, it was VERY difficult to read for someone who is not particularly well versed in philosophy

noahbw's review against another edition

4.0

After being familiar with Buber's I-Thou / I-It distinction, I'm glad I read the book. It certainly has its moments of mid-2oth century philosophy unreadability, but Buber also has some real sparklets in here too. As described in Kaufman's forward, I'm curious to know more about how Buber's work was picked up by Protestants and Buber's subsequent reaction, given that I am also a Protestant attracted to this.

dabersh's review against another edition

challenging reflective

4.5

serotiny11's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

4.25

I’ll be thinking about this one for a long time.

emilybriano's review against another edition

3.0

I think reading about this book was more interesting than actually reading it. Perhaps in another attempt I will connect with it more. The ideas are still incredibly important though.

lneff514's review against another edition

4.0

I mean... what did I just read? I think I only understood about 50-75% of this book. But I did enjoy it and intend to read it again!

shanviolinlove's review against another edition

3.0

Buber is quite the poet! Though it is difficult to ascertain the direct meaning of his dualistic concept of I-You and I-It through language (which would otherwise reduce all the world to these two word-pairs), his philosophy is outstanding. How we relate to different entities in our world, in which existence that we choose to live, and how we are ever fluctuating between these two is an incredible study that he undertakes in this book.

joekbooks's review against another edition

challenging slow-paced

2.0

dakrone's review against another edition

4.0

This book is small but dense. I'll definitely have to read it multiple times to glean more from it (which, interestingly, is mentioned in a quote on the back of my copy that reads "... It is a book to be read through and pondered and then read again".

I thought Buber has a compelling description of the relationship between man and God. Not only man and God, but he also covers multiple relationships (life with nature, life with men, life with spiritual beings, termed Cosmos, Eros, and Logos respectively).

Favorite quote:

"For actually there is a cosmos for man only when the universe becomes his home, with its holy hearth whereon he offers sacrifice; there is Eros for man only when beings become for him pictures of the eternal, and community is revealed along with them; and there is Logos for man only when he addresses the mystery with work and service for the spirit."

4.5 stars, rounded down.