Mr. Charles M. Saunders

From an early age there was pronounced by and for this eventual and somewhat reluctant author a mission in life: 'To understand who we are and why we are here'. Notwithstanding the fact that he had no idea what this vague though somewhat interesting phrase might mean he set out.

Nothing else mattered: not family, friends, barriers, ignorance, limited skill sets or anything else.

After nearly 30 years of trial and error he gained a tenuous foothold on what he by then realized was his search for the truth or reality or metaphysical certainty, for they are all three synonymous.

By that time he had grasped the fact that the truth was 'self-evident' and available to everyone alive. He further understood that the contemporary scientific prevailing theory or platform termed 'empirical knowledge' was terribly flawed and in need of a replacement.

Other than that he recognized that humans constitute the highest level of evolutionary achievement and bear no resemblance to any other animal; primate or otherwise.

And yet it was abundantly clear that these tidbits of useful information bore no connective element and that his life would be long over before he would gain the knowledge, certainty and peace of mind he sought.

At about this point during his on-going educational quest, he met Spinoza and life slowly began to improve on all fronts.

For the next 20 or so years he dedicated much of his time to an extended study of Spinoza's "Ethics". In 1997 he experienced an 'epiphany', on a given day he suddenly 'got it'!

Spinoza's entire system flashed before his mind's eye. The feeling felt not unlike being struck by a bolt of lightening.

Nearly dropping to his knees and with eyes moist and feeling filled with a silent joy, he began to realize that an enormous weight had been placed upon him. He had no choice but to write a book.

With the aforementioned limited skill sets he pondered what in the world he might do.

Feeling hopelessly under qualified to tackle any commentary on the "Ethics", he decided to try the 'Fragment", or, "On the Improvement of the Understanding".

Having completed that pamphlet he is now at work on pamphlet number three. Number two is now available on Amazon (paperback) and on Kindle (e-book), along with pamphlet 1.

He recognizes that the blessing of understanding Spinoza's intended meaning in his philosophy has come his way as a gift. The only goal for the six pamphlets which will eventually make up the entire series is to render Baruch's wisdom understandable to the capable and interested reader and to play a part in expanding our self-knowledge to the extent where as many of us as possible will grasp the significance of the man and the mind who walked this earth over 350 years ago.