Political scientists, philosophers and students who are familiar with the textual approach associated with Leo Strauss will welcome this book, as will other readers with an interest in ancient Greek philosophy and political thought. The editorial purpose is clearly to present a modern translation for readers with no Greek, and a dependable translation for scholars unwilling or unable to deal always with the original text.
Footnotes explain significant text variants and provide helpful historical information.
An especially good introduction by the editor deals with the authenticity of the opuscula. Roots is a valuable document for both serious and casual students of Platonic philosophy. The sense of the interpretive essays is as paradoxical as the little dialogues themselves.