Laurence Gane

I can't tell you just how brilliant this book is. Friedrich Nietzsche is one of the greatest philosophers of all time, and his ideas can be difficult to understand. He has also produced a lot of books, which are dense and rife with allegories, philosophical thoughts, and reflections on life, reality, and religion, among other things. This book, a collaboration by Gane and Piero, does an amazing work of condensing his thoughts into an accessible format.

The text is clear, sharp, and easy to understand. It is extremely concise--in fact, I don't think I've seen one word being wasted--and exact. Although it may be easy to read, the text is crammed with ideas and information that will blow your mind with every turn of the page. Simply put, it's an unbelievably thorough yet brief expedition through the mind of one of the greatest thinkers of our time.

Despite being a big fan of Nietzsche, I've only read Thus Spoke Zarathustra in detail (as a matter of fact, I did my dissertation on it). I'm not wholly unfamiliar with his other books, but this was a great introduction to the concepts and ideas Nietzsche raised through his bibliography. I can't say that I'm now conversant about Nietzsche, but I can proudly say that I'm now more learned than ever.

The illustrations are quite interesting. They are absurd little pieces that are used to support the text. Complement is the exact word with which they can be described. They don't overwhelm any of the text at any point, which is a great thing. I felt the caricatures of modern philosophers and thinkers were spot-on, yet they felt alien and too far-reaching at times.

Finally, I wholeheartedly recommend this book. If you love Nietzsche and need brief reminders of his concepts, keep this in your shelf. If you're looking to immerse yourself into the ocean that is Nietzsche, begin here. Either way, you won't lose.… (més)

Nietzsche, the ultimate 'thinking man'. sure he was crazy and dark but he lived his life to think and to the utmost caliber. The introducing series is always a great way to see a broad perspective on a great thinker and I always enjoy such books.

Things Nietzsche said...

in general he believed:

"All writing is useless that does not contain a stimulus to activity."

on Dionysian loverfools who are only after hedonism and pleasures:

"music and intoxication are the means of mystical collective ecstasy for this trance like condition briefly protects us from our sense of isolation and the transitory nature of human life, from which our intuition wont allow us to escape."

Nietzsche introduced this grandiose ideas to the world as if they were common sense, which well...nowadays they are but back then this was insane stuff. I have totally experienced that feeling at concerts surrounded by people who return again again for that mystical collective ecstasy that is so temporary and does "seek a path back to the womb of being an escape from the prison of self."

another excellent fact about Nietzsche is how he was against any system for: "systemizers are to be avoided; the well to a system is a lack of integrity."

on the problem with 'intellects' and why everyone despises them:

"The free spirit is brought into disrepute chiefly by scholars who miss their thoroughness and ant-like industry in his art of regarding things."

and lastly on bad writers:
"most thinkers write badly because they communicate not only their thoughts but also the thinking of them. so use words with care and passion - write with blood. Only the most acute reader will grasp the meaning..."

and I learned that all from this amazing book with excellent graphics by Piero.… (més)