"What Martin Shuster has done is to articulate—with skill, succinctness, and charm—how monotheism entails a philosophical story about meaning, and an ethical story about what we owe each other. It repays repeated readings, and each reading is a joy."
~Martin Kavka, author of Jewish Messianism and the History of Philosophy
"Martin Shuster offers a fascinating reading of the Jewish philosophical canon in order to test the claim, first uttered by Levinas, that Judaism is an anachronism."
~Aaron W. Hughes, author of Rethinking Jewish Philosophy
"Shuster's passion for philosophical thought and his commitment to a better world, comes through in this insightful interpretation of 'classic' Jewish philosophical thinkers. Written with skill and ease, Shuster brings the work of these thinkers alive for even the casual reader of philosophy. Most significantly, he shows the enduring relevance of the Jewish philosophical tradition for the human struggle to find meaning in a world filled with 'pain and suffering.' In the end, this book inspires hope even in the midst of a broken world."
~Kelly Brown Douglas, Bill and Judith Moyers Chair of Theology, Union Theological Seminary
"To measure a world means to adopt a stance toward it. As we are already in the world—and can never get out—our stance must be inside and somehow outside, just as it must be engaged, here and now, while attending to history: 'everything matters.' When understood in terms of space and time, the measuring stance is thus 'anachronic,' as Levinas once said, and Judaism, understood philosophically, is a 'modality of the human'—indeed, an enduring expression of the demand of the anachronic. Martin Shuster's remarkable study thereby opens a new path toward a philosophy of communication and critique through which we are all 'a little bit Jewish.'"
~Bettina Bergo, Professeure titulaire, University of Monntréal
"An introductory study that will have enormous appeal for both students and non-specialist general readers, How to Measure a World?: A Philosophy of Judaism is as informative as it is thought-provoking, and very highly recommended"
~Midwest Book Review
"Overall, this book is a valuable contribution to not only modern Jewish studies, but also the broader field of continental philosophy of religion. With a clear mastery of his sources, Shuster carefully weaves his thesis through deeply complicated figures in a way that is both artful and textually sound."
~Josiah Solis, Reading Religion
"One also has to be impressed with the wealth of learning Shuster brings to bear in developing this theme. In addition to Maimonides, Adorno, Benjamin, and Levinas, there are discussions of Kant, Hegel, Marx, Wittgenstein, and Heidegger. In an academic climate that has become increasingly specialized, it is rare for someone to master this much material and present it so gracefully"
~Kenneth Seeskin - Northwestern University, AJS Review
"Both historical and constructive in character, Shuster's work prodigiously works with many of the original languages necessary for the claims it makes (Greek, Hebrew, Arabic, German) as well as stages substantive conversations between supporting thinkers in its chapters (al-Ghazali, Heidegger, Aristotle, Hegel, Marx, Lukacs, and Davidson)."
~Jeffrey Bernstein, College of the Holy Cross , Shofar
"Martin Shuster's brilliant new book, How to Measure a World? A Philosophy of Judaism, oscillates between the experience of human suffering in the given world and the quest for metaphysical and moral knowledge required to transcend it.""
~Asaf Angerman, University of Louisville, Journal of the American Academy of Religion
"The connections that Shuster draws between Maimonides and the phenomenological tradition are ingenious, and worth the price of admission to the book. In my estimation, the originality and cleverness of the reading justifies itself How to Measure a World? is a provocative and innovative work about (of?) contemporary Jewish thought."
~Samuel Brody, University of Kansas
"Martin Shuster's brilliant new book, How to Measure a World? A Philosophy of Judaism, oscillates between these two poles, between the experience of human suffering in the given world and the quest for metaphysical and moral knowledge required to transcend it. In pushing boundaries and expanding the scope of a philosophy of Judaism by including an impressive variety of voices and perspectives, Jewish and non-Jewish alike, Shuster's book adds a valuable dimension of inclusivity and, true to a Jewish dialogical tradition, advances an important dialogue."
~Asaf Angermann - University of Louisville, Journal of the American Academy of Religion
