Hilary Putnam, Pragmatism ** 1/2

In this very short book, the philosopher who first got me hooked on modern philosophy (Putnam) considers the philosopher with whom I feel the closest kinship (William James). The book consists of three short speeches, which provide an overview of the reasons James remains relevant to current debates. As Putnam says, it is not a real study but rather "an advertisement for that project." I was disappointed at how cursory the discussion was. I would have had a hard time following it if I hadn't already read more detailed work from both men. Its main benefit for me was to confirm that I properly remembered the key positions of both philosophers.