In this intriguing book, Moira Gatens and Genevieve Lloyd show us that in spite of-or rather because of-Spinoza's apparent strangeness, his philosophy can be a rich source for cultural self-understanding in the present.Collective Imaginingsdraws on recent reassessments of the philosophy of Spinoza and develops new ways of conceptualizing issues of freedom and difference. These newly contextualized theories are easily applied to contemporary issues, such as environmental debates, issues of feminism, the conception of democracy, and the idea of the individual and community, providing relevance to our everyday lives. A fine counter to the 'read and raid' and the 'read and destroy' schools of history of philosophy . a careful interpretation of Spinoza that helps resolve contemporary problems about the relation between (what we think of as) the individual and the conflicts and harmony that form social life. -- Amélie Rorty, Brandeis University A fresh look at Spinoza and how his thoughtis applicable today.