Thank you to Yale University Press for the Advanced Reader Copy to read and review.
This extensive work by Moshe Halbertal is essential for the student of advanced Jewish Studies. From the Introduction:
“The present book attempts to provide a broad, systematic account of Nahmanides’s thought: his conception of halakhah and his approach to the central concerns of medieval Jewish thought, including his conception of God, history, revelation, and the reasons for the commandments.”

The author makes his case that Naimanides is the superior thinker in Medieval Jewish thought, as he was a fully rounded scholar of both the Askenasi and Sephardi camps.

If you are a novice of Jewish philosophy and thought, then acquire this tome for your future studies. However, for a beginner, its not the right place to start.

Also, great appreciations should be given to Daniel Tabak for his painstaking work in translating this work from Hebrew to English.

I've been learning about Kabbalism over the past 5 years, I am interested in reading about the early roots of the system, but this was too deep a dive for me. I stayed with it for the first few chapters, then skimmed the rest. One would need a much stronger background on the book than I have to absorb the content in this book.

I have never heard of Nahmanides and that's what caught my attention- I was curious to know who he was and why he's made it into a book- what he did or stood for, and at first, I found this a detailed read. It is true that it is very thorough and it felt more like a course text, so for someone who is new to Jewish philosophy, I struggled to grasp the depth that this book offers.
I will however read it again, when my mind's at peace and give this another review, because that initial interest is still there. I'd recommend this to anyone who is interested in philosophy- because Jewish or not, it's all insights on life and living.
Thanks Netgalley for the eARC.