NONFICTION

Hiking with Nietzsche: On Becoming Who You Are

by John Kaag
Farrar. Sept. 2018. 272p. maps. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780374170011. $26. PHIL
COPY ISBN
This latest from Kaag (philosophy, Univ. of Massachusetts, Lowell; American Philosophy: A Love Story) is part philosophy memoir, part overview of Friedrich Nietzsche's philosophy. The book covers hikes Kaag took in Europe that retraced some of ietzsche's possible walks, first when Kaag was alone as a young philosophy student and later as a husband and father accompanied by his wife and young daughter. These later journeys allow him to rediscover Nietzsche's life and ideas from a different perspective and place in his own life while also explaining the development and growth of the philosopher. The last chapter, titled "Becoming Who You Are," is fantastic in the way it weaves Nietzsche's philosophy with what Kaag experienced on his walks as an adult.
VERDICT A wonderful introduction to Nietzsche set against the unique backdrop of the landscape and cities he experienced. The tone and writing style make it accessible to general readers, while the content will reward those familiar with Nietzsche as well.
Reviewed by Scott Duimstra, Capital Area Dist. Lib., Lansing, MI , Aug 01, 2018
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