Want to know what books Carlos Fraenkel recommends on their reading list? We've researched interviews, social media posts, podcasts, and articles to build a comprehensive list of Carlos Fraenkel's favorite book recommendations of all time.
1
Karl May, George A. Alexander | 4.03
Fresh off the boat from Europe and looking for adventure, a young German named Charlie heads west. He finds plenty of excitement on the untamed American frontier. Whether it is an encounter with a grizzly, a hostile Indian, or a dishonest white man, he always manages to emerge victorious. He gets out of one dangerous situation after another, thanks to his quick wits, his skill with a gun, and his remarkable strength (which earns him the nickname "Old Shatterhand"). Along the way, he makes friends with an equally remarkable young Indian, Winnetou. Together, they embark on adventures throughout... more Fresh off the boat from Europe and looking for adventure, a young German named Charlie heads west. He finds plenty of excitement on the untamed American frontier. Whether it is an encounter with a grizzly, a hostile Indian, or a dishonest white man, he always manages to emerge victorious. He gets out of one dangerous situation after another, thanks to his quick wits, his skill with a gun, and his remarkable strength (which earns him the nickname "Old Shatterhand"). Along the way, he makes friends with an equally remarkable young Indian, Winnetou. Together, they embark on adventures throughout the West. This classic adventure story of the American west, along with a host of other books and stories by Karl May, shaped the perception of the frontier for generations of readers. May's books became the all-time best-sellers in Germany and were translated into many languages, but good English translations have been difficult to find-until now. less 
Carlos FraenkelThese are Wild-West novels, even though Karl May actually never travelled to North America. This is the Wild West of his imagination. (Source)
See more recommendations for this book...
2
Moses Maimonides, Daniel H. Frank, Julius Guttmann, Chaim Rabin | 4.26
"The reissue of Guttmann's edition of Rabin's translation is a welcome event. There has long been a need for a readable, judicious edition, for classroom use, of this large and complex work." --Michael L. Morgan, Indiana University more "The reissue of Guttmann's edition of Rabin's translation is a welcome event. There has long been a need for a readable, judicious edition, for classroom use, of this large and complex work." --Michael L. Morgan, Indiana University less Carlos FraenkelMaimonides reinterprets his religious commitments in light of his philosophical commitments. (Source)
See more recommendations for this book...
3
This spiritual autobiography describes Imam Abu Hamid al-Ghazali's intellectual crisis, which led him to achieve direct knowledge of God. Among his most outstanding contributions to Muslim intellectual life were masterly defenses of Islamic orthodoxy, mysticism, and law, against the attacks of those who advocated purely legalistic, or entirely esoteric, readings of the religion. He hence articulated the Islam of the middle way, in balance between the extremes of the letter and the spirit. Also included in this volume are extensive translations from key works of al-Ghazali.
more This spiritual autobiography describes Imam Abu Hamid al-Ghazali's intellectual crisis, which led him to achieve direct knowledge of God. Among his most outstanding contributions to Muslim intellectual life were masterly defenses of Islamic orthodoxy, mysticism, and law, against the attacks of those who advocated purely legalistic, or entirely esoteric, readings of the religion. He hence articulated the Islam of the middle way, in balance between the extremes of the letter and the spirit. Also included in this volume are extensive translations from key works of al-Ghazali.
less Carlos FraenkelOnce he has lost trust in Islam, al-Ghazālī asks himself: what can I trust? What can I have faith in? It’s quite interestingly parallel to what Descartes does in the First Meditation. (Source)
See more recommendations for this book...
4
The second edition of Five Dialogues presents G. M. A. Grube's distinguished translations, as revised by John Cooper for Plato, Complete Works (Hacket, 1997). Cooper has also contributed a number of new or expanded footnotes and updated Suggestions for Further Reading. more The second edition of Five Dialogues presents G. M. A. Grube's distinguished translations, as revised by John Cooper for Plato, Complete Works (Hacket, 1997). Cooper has also contributed a number of new or expanded footnotes and updated Suggestions for Further Reading. less 
Kenan MalikUnlike earlier Greek philosophers, such as Diagoras and Democritus, Plato believed in the divine, and much of his philosophy flowed from his concept of a transcendental reality. He provided the resources for the later Christian view of goodness as a transcendental quality. But in his dialogue Euthyphro he also provides the classic argument against looking to God as the source of moral values, an... (Source)
Carlos FraenkelReading Plato can be a Socratic exercise because you’re reading a text that is part of the canon of philosophy but it advances views that are opposed to everything you believe in. (Source)
M M McCabeThe philosophical content creeps up on you when you think all this is merely a rhetorical flourish: it’s completely extraordinary. (Source)
See more recommendations for this book...
5
Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9780140432077
Published in 1859, John Stuart Mill's On Liberty presented one of the most eloquent defenses of individual freedom in nineteenth-century social and political philosophy and is today perhaps the most widely-read liberal argument in support of the value of liberty. Mill's passionate advocacy of spontaneity, individuality, and diversity, along with his contempt for compulsory uniformity and the despotism of popular opinion, has attracted both admiration and condemnation. more Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9780140432077
Published in 1859, John Stuart Mill's On Liberty presented one of the most eloquent defenses of individual freedom in nineteenth-century social and political philosophy and is today perhaps the most widely-read liberal argument in support of the value of liberty. Mill's passionate advocacy of spontaneity, individuality, and diversity, along with his contempt for compulsory uniformity and the despotism of popular opinion, has attracted both admiration and condemnation. less 
Nick CleggThe tradition is that it is given to the president of the Liberal Democrats rather than the leader, which is a subtle but important distinction in Lib Dem land. But you’re quite right. The traditions of J. S. Mill are still handed down like some sort of totemic emblem of everything that we’re supposed to still believe in, even now. It’s extraordinary, given it was written in 1859……What we’re... (Source)
A C GraylingOn Liberty is a very important document, and one which, because of the clarity with which one can read it and its brevity, is slightly passed over. (Source)
Peter SingerMill points out that very often, throughout history, people have thought that they were certainly right, and then turned out to be quite wrong. (Source)
See more recommendations for this book...
Don't have time to read Carlos Fraenkel's favorite books? Read Shortform summaries.
Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:
- Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
- Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
- Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
