Nietzsche in 90 Minutes - (Philosophers in 90 Minutes) by Paul Strathern (Paperback)

About the Book

In Nietzsche in 90 Minutes, Paul Strathern offers a concise, expert account of Nietzsche's life and ideas, and explains their influence on man's struggle to understand his existence in the world. The book also includes selections from Nietzsche's work; a brief list of suggeste...

Book Synopsis

In Nietzsche in 90 Minutes, Paul Strathern offers a concise, expert account of Nietzsche's life and ideas, and explains their influence on man's struggle to understand his existence in the world. The book also includes selections from Nietzsche's work; a brief list of suggested reading for those who wish to push further; and chronologies that place Nietzsche within his own age and in the broader scheme of philosophy.

From the Back Cover

In earlier centuries philosophy had been dangerous for philosophers; with Friedrich Nietzsche it becomes dangerous for everyone. Nietzsche ended up by going mad, but his ideas presaged a collective madness which was to have horrific consequences in Europe during the first half of the twentieth century. His philosophy is one of aphorisms and penetrating psychological insights, not a system. But it is as brilliant, persuasive, and incisive as any before or since. His major concept is the Will to Power, which he saw as the basic impulse for all our acts. Christianity he saw as a subtle perversion of this concept - thus Nietzsche's famous pronouncement, "God is dead". In Nietzsche in 90 Minutes, Paul Strathern offers a concise, expert account of Nietzsche's life and ideas, and explains their influence on man's struggle to understand his existence in the world. The book also includes selections from Nietzsche's work; a brief list of suggested reading for those who wish to push further; and chronologies that place Nietzsche within his own age and in the broader scheme of philosophy.

Review Quotes

"Well-written, clear and informed, they have a breezy wit about them...I find them hard to stop reading." --Richard Bernstein, The New York Times

"Witty, illuminating, and blessedly concise." --Jim Holt, The Wall Street Journal

"Each of these little books is witty and dramatic and creates a sense of time, place, and character...I cannot think of a better way to introduce oneself and one's friends to Western civilization." --Katherine A. Powers, The Boston Globe

"A godsend in this era of the short attention span." --Daryl Royster Alexander, The New York Times

About the Author

Paul Strathern is author of the popular and critically acclaimed Philosophers in 90 Minutes series. Highlights from the series include Nietzsche in 90 Minutes, Aristotle in 90 Minutes, and Plato in 90 Minutes. Mr. Strathern has lectured in philosophy and mathematics and now lives and writes in London. A former Somerset Maugham prize winner, he is also the author of books on history and travel as well as five novels. His articles have appeared in a great many newspapers, including the Observer (London) and the Irish Times. His own degree in philosophy came from Trinity College, Dublin.