Nietzsche: Great Thinkers on Modern Life

People often joke that philosophy is one of those fields of study that only prepares you for work in a fast-food joint, not for the modern world. But the whole point of philosophy is understanding challenging concepts and then applying them to your environment. More often than not, deep thinkers from the past can have some valuable insight into our lives.

Nietzsche: Great Thinkers on Modern Life is an excellent gateway book to introduce a deeper desire to understand the most famous philosophers, what we think their words mean, and what their words actually mean. Whether we’re unpacking the statements popularized by the Nazis or exploring possible misinterpretations that have passed down for generations, this is Nietzsche at his most accessible.

Armstrong is a valuable guide for new readers. Instead of telling us what Nietzsche means in every section, he provides guidelines and allows readers to interpret and explore the philosopher’s ideas for ourselves. It’s more of a curated tour than an instructional handbook, one that encourages the development of reading and comprehension skills rather than rote repetition.

You might not be able to pronounce his name, but you should be able to process his best-known ideas.