Peter J. E. Kail - Simply Nietzsche

For Teddy

This is the best introductory text on Nietzsche in English, German or French, and in three respects: it is genuinely introductory without being superficial; it reflects good philosophical judgment; and it stakes out interesting and plausible hypotheses on some vexed questions of interpretation. The writing is also crisp and engaging throughout.

Brian Leiter, Karl N. Llewellyn Professor of Jurisprudence, Director of the Center for Law, Philosophy, and Human Values, The University of Chicago

Peter Kail has written a lively and intelligent short guide to Nietzsches remarkable corpus. Best of all, he does not make this singular philosophical genius conform to the dreary character of so much academic philosophy. Instead, Nietzsche the profound psychologist and writer of great distinction shines through.

Keith Ansell-Pearson, Professor of Philosophy, University of Warwick

This is an admirably readable, philosophically-astute introduction to Nietzsches thought.

Andrew Huddleston, Reader in Philosophy, Birbeck College, University of London

Kails Simply Nietzsche offers a clear and admirably concise overview of the central themes in Nietzsches work. It is highly accessible and is written in a lively, conversational style. It would be an excellent introductory guide for students.

Paul Katsafanas, Associate Professor of Philosophy, Boston University

Peter Kails introduction to Nietzsche offers a brisk, informed, and sympathetic approach to this philosophical giant. The book is something of a tour de force. In seven short, lucid chapters it manages to cover the full extent of Nietzsches most significant writings from The Birth of Tragedy to Ecce Homo, leaving no philosophical stone unturned. A perfect companion for students, teachers, or novices who are just curious to know what makes Nietzsche so compulsively readable despite his being the most challenging thinker since Kant. Nietzsche will turn your life upside down. Simply Nietzsche will help you get your bearings as you land back in reality.

James I. Porter, Irving G. Stone Professor in Literature and Professor of Rhetoric and Classics, UC Berkeley

Few philosophers have left a more enduring mark in the popular imagination, and none has been more frequently caricatured or misunderstood, than Friedrich Nietzsche. To correct this misrepresentation, we needed a writer possessed of a deep knowledge of the increasingly sophisticated philosophical scholarship devoted to his thought and capable of making it at once accessible and appealing to a broad readership. In Peter Kail, we have found just such a writer. This short book gives a clear, concise, and well-informed overview of Nietzsches main philosophical insights, which corrects common misunderstandings of them, emphasizes their originality, and acknowledges their lingering problems.

Bernhard Reginster, author of The Affirmation of Life and Professor of Philosophy, Brown University

Peter Kail gives us an exceptionally lucid, accessible, and judicious introduction to a thinker whose real views often differ radically from those his reputation suggestsand are all the more interesting for that.

Stephen Mulhall, Professor of Philosophy, New College, Oxford University

Simply Nietzsche is arguably the best contemporary introduction to Nietzsche on the market and will, without doubt, be read by generations. While there are plenty of admirable, often longer introductions out there, Simply Nietzsche bears the hallmarks of a philosopher who first honed his philosophical acumen on the likes of Hume and Berkeley before turning, with a critical eye, to Nietzsche. In enviable lucidity, Peter Kail introduces both the novice and the experienced reader to a consistent and attractive interpretation. In exciting prose, he offers a careful selection of key works, concepts, and arguments, without ignoring their challenges, their inconsistencies, and Nietzsches deliberately emotionally-charged style. Simply Nietzsche not only introduces Nietzsches philosophy, but it also shows how one should go about reading the philosopher who has wrong-footed so many.

Manuel Dries, Senior Lecturer in Philosophy, The Open University

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S imply Charlys Great Lives series offers brief but authoritative introductions to the worlds most influential peoplescientists, artists, writers, economists, and other historical figures whose contributions have had a meaningful and enduring impact on our society.

Each book provides an illuminating look at the works, ideas, personal lives, and the legacies these individuals left behind, also shedding light on the thought processes, specific events, and experiences that led these remarkable people to their groundbreaking discoveries or other achievements. Additionally, every volume explores various challenges they had to face and overcome to make history in their respective fields, as well as the little-known character traits, quirks, strengths, and frailties, myths, and controversies that sometimes surrounded these personalities.