The book by T. A. Slezak (b. 1940) “How to Read Plato” is a capacious and informative introduction to the problems of modern Platonic studies. Together with H.I. Kremer and K. Gaiser, the author belongs to the so-called “Tübingen school”, the main focus of which is the reconstruction of Plato’s “unwritten teaching”. Placing the “criticism of writing” in the Phaedrus at the center of his interpretation, Slezak understands the dialogues as dramas, the purpose of which is to lead from the written text to oral learning that can lead the student to perfect knowledge and spiritual transformation. Shifting attention from the text to oral tradition (as the medium of origin, transmission and normative interpretation of the text) allows Slezak to more fully recreate the historical appearance of Platonic philosophy.