Order from a Major Online Bookstore
Ultimate Book Price Comparison Engine
Save Your Time And Money
| AnyBook4Less.com | Order from a Major Online Bookstore |
|
| Home | Store List | FAQ | Contact Us | | ||
| Ultimate Book Price Comparison Engine Save Your Time And Money |
||
 |
Title: Nietzsche: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) by Michael Tanner ISBN: 0-19-285414-3 Publisher: Oxford University Press Pub. Date: 01 January, 2001 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $9.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4 (3 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: The Will to Brevity...
Comment: No one can reasonably expect to sum up Nietzche's views and philosophy in under 100 pages. The reader should not go into this work expecting to come out understanding Nietzsche, but maybe make him a little less obscure or receive a slight bit more context in which to read Nietzsche's books. For those who have already read some Nietzsche and are left nonplussed, this tiny book may help you out as well (it did me).
The book follows Nietzsche's publications more or less in chronological order. The longest and most difficult chapter is the one on "The Birth of Tragedy." This work gets the most attention of all of Nietzsche's works, presumably because it is easier to "sum up" or encapsulate than any of his other works. For instance, the section on "The Genealogy of Morals" will leave you wondering what the book is about (in fact, reading the book itself may also have this effect - it's a tad difficult).
"Morality and its Discontents" is one of the most illuminating chapters, and will shed some light on Nietzsche's proclamation that "God is dead" which is probably his most infamous and misunderstood concept (there's also a lot more meat to it than the eternal recurrence and the Ubermensch, which Tanner points out).
Overall I agree with Tanner's assessment of Nietzsche's "Thus Spake Zarathustra." It was the first book of his I read, and I came out of the experience energized, but I had no idea why. "Zarathustra" is a passionate but potentially misleading read. It's nothing like his other works, and introduces concepts that never come up again, though they seem to be of utmost importance in the context of the book (i.e., the eternal recurrence, Ubermensch, and the will to power - at least in his published works).
The pace of Tanner's book quickens and the delineation of Nietzsche's texts becomes more and more sparse towards the final few chapters. There is very little information about Nietzsche's insanity, or Lou Salomé or even the details of his life. The book is almost completely dedicated to Nietzsche's philosophy. In fact, the book ends as abruptly as Nietzsche's own sane life must have. There's a slight feeling of "so what's next?!?" at the end of the last and shortest chapter that discusses the works of 1888 in a flash.
Nietzsche is a huge subject, and his books are thick conceptually if not physically. He was a thinker that wanted to teach us to think differently, which makes him a valuable read no matter what your stance on the views he covers. This minute book will help you peek through the keyhole of this enormous and overwhelming subject.
Lastly, Richard Wagner figures hugely in Nietzsche's work. Knowing more about Wagner will only elucidate some of Nietzsche's works and concepts. Tanner also supports this view.
Rating: 4
Summary: Nietzsche demystified (well, sort of)
Comment: Tanner's NIETZSCHE provides as plain-spoken an account as can be managed of what the philosopher was all about, taking the reader through Nietzsche's life and work step by step. There are a few things about the book I do not like -- for instance, insufficient discussion of the abuses of Nietzsche by others, too short shrift to THUS SPOKE ZARATHUSTRA, and an unhelpful final chapter of assessment -- but its merits outweigh these several flaws. I would definitely recommend that others read this book before tackling Nietzsche's works directly.
Rating: 4
Summary: A Helpful Overview
Comment: Tanner here provides a wonderful overview of Nietzsche's philosophy--not an easy task, since Nietzsche had no "philosophy" in the usual sense. He is an anti-philosopher philosopher. Tanner concentrates on what Nietzsche said in his published works, considering the "Will to Power" fragments suspect. He distrusts the French poststructuralist interpretations of Nietzsche, which emphasize his perspectivism. To get a good idea of this side of Nietzsche, read Alex Nehamas's "Nietzsche: Life as Literature." There is no better introduction to Nietzsche than Nietzsche himself, perhaps in "Beyond Good and Evil," but he is among the most complex of modern "philosphers," and Tanner's book is quite helpful for the novice.
 |
Title: Kant: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) by Roger Scruton ISBN: 0192801996 Publisher: Oxford University Press Pub. Date: 01 November, 2001 List Price(USD): $9.95 |
 |
Title: Marx: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) by Peter Singer ISBN: 0192854054 Publisher: Oxford University Press Pub. Date: 01 October, 2000 List Price(USD): $9.95 |
 |
Title: Hegel: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) by Peter Singer ISBN: 019280197X Publisher: Oxford University Press Pub. Date: 01 October, 2001 List Price(USD): $9.95 |
 |
Title: Heidegger a Very Short Introduction: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) by M. J. Inwood, Michael Inwood ISBN: 0192854100 Publisher: Oxford University Press Pub. Date: 01 May, 2002 List Price(USD): $9.95 |
 |
Title: Poststructuralism: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) by Catherine Belsey ISBN: 0192801805 Publisher: Oxford University Press Pub. Date: 01 October, 2002 List Price(USD): $9.95 |
Thank you for visiting www.AnyBook4Less.com and enjoy your savings!
Copyright� 2001-2021 Send your comments
