Sartre For Beginners is an accessible, yet sophisticated introduction to the life and works of the famous French Existentialist philosopher, Jean Paul Sartre. Sartre was a member the French underground during World War II, a novelist, a playwright, and a major influence in French political and intellectual life. The book opens with a biographical section, introducing the significant events in the life of the man who coined the term, “Existentialism.” Then it examines Sartre's early philosophical works.