Essential Erasmus Book

A couple of things...first of all, it's not a book you take to the beach. Popular anthologies of early Renaissance/Counter-Reformation writers in paperback form just aren't easily found or read nowadays, and belong to an era where there was some prestige in being culturally literate for its own sake. Nowadays, this book would be of most interest to lovers of religious history, Catholicism, or just the history of the early 16th century generally, but few others. I read it because I wanted some context for reading the Praise of Folly (included); I can see why it's still considered a masterpiece--great satire. Dolan does a terrific job of not only translating throughout but also providing masterly introductions to each piece. I recommend it to people who have a deep love of reading, but it's not a rewarding book and the dry stretches are both dense and often meandering. (You have to remember none of these works were intended for a popular audience, not even the Praise of Folly, which was a personal joke to his good friend and fellow theologian Thomas More.) I enjoyed reading it, but I'd be lying if I said it wasn't a grind at times.