In the July 31, 2006, issue of The New Republic, Damon Linker reviews two books about Leo Strauss, including Steven B. Smith’s Reading Leo Strauss: Politics, Philosophy, Judaism.
A short quote from the lengthy analysis: “Smith’s book is a response to Strauss’s critics, and it far surpasses previous efforts in clarity, rigor, and judiciousness. Smith is not an acolyte propagating the true faith; he is an admirer who wishes to persuade his readers of Strauss’s intellectual importance. This balance between sympathy and critical distance, lamentably rare in studies of Strauss, contributes to making this book our best introduction to the complex and challenging ideas of this divisive figure.”
We have an excerpt from Smith’s book.
(TNR also reviews a book by Heinrich Meier. We have published two previous books by Meier.)