"Kaag is a lively storyteller who brings Nietzsche's life into continual contact with his own . . . [He] challenges his readers to be what they might become." —Steven B. Smith, The New York Times Book Review
"Not just an approachable introduction to Nietzsche’s thought. Kaag’s book is also . . . a confirmation that philosophy thrives when it provides an antidote to the wholesome doldrums of sanity . . . Kaag may have outgrown his youthful dramatics, but he continues to let philosophy upend him." —Becca Rothfeld, The Atlantic
"[An] engagingly unacademic meditation . . . The question, ultimately, is whether Nietzsche’s philosophy, so attuned to lurking monstrous urges, can be of use in daily life. Kaag’s answer is both elliptical and profound, manifesting a deep understanding of his subject matter." —The New Yorker
"As in American Philosophy, Kaag deftly intertwines sympathetic biography, accessible philosophical analysis, and self-critical autobiography . . . Kaag extracts plenty of relevant ideas from Nietzsche and his followers in this stimulating book about combating despair and complacency with searching reflection." —Heller McAlpin, npr.org
"Mr. Kaag deftly weaves his philosophical concerns with the small and large crises of daily life . . . his honesty is bracing." —Geoff Wisner, The Wall Street Journal
"In [Hiking with Nietzsche] and in his previous book American Philosophy: A Love Story . . . Kaag has perhaps created a genre . . . [He combines] almost seamlessly a relatively rigorous though highly readable tour of Nietzsche’s life and authorship with personal writing in the mode of contemporary 'creative non-fiction' . . . Hiking with Nietzsche may provide a new template for autobiographical philosophy and philosophical autobiography." —Cirspin Sartwell, TLS
"Kaag has a pleasingly wry, compact style, and is particularly interesting on thinkers that that Nietzsche influenced heavily." —Steven Poole, The Guardian (Book of the day)
"While the book serves as an entry point to Nietzsche’s writing, its real success is as an embodiment of one of his core ideas — and one that you needn’t have read his works to appreciate: the imperative of becoming who you are . . . Call it philosophy. Call it memoir. This is a book with verve. Read it at the risk of being drawn in to your own becoming." —Scott F. Parker, Minneapolis Star-Tribune
"Kaag has carved out a genre all his own, a genre with the promise to narrow some of the gaps between the esoteric and the familiar, the academic and the non-academic, the philosopher and the self-help guru. For those with Kaag’s unusual mixture of philosophical sophistication and narrative skill, it is a genre well worth emulating.” —John F. Muller, Los Angeles Review of Books
"You don’t need to like Nietzsche to love this book… [it] is more than a well-marked trail into Nietzsche’s world. It is an attempt to reclaim his philosophy for the middle-aged… [Kaag provides] deft storytelling and prose of such momentum and transparency… there are glorious descriptions of nature, lakes and mountains… I’ll read whatever [Kaag] writes." —Kieran Setiya, Literary Review
"Hiking with Nietzsche serves as a straightforward and even practical introduction to the German philosopher’s writings, and makes a convincing case for why they continue to matter. Even readers not necessarily tempted to descend into the Nietzschean abyss will surely find Kaag’s exploration of selfhood, decadence, companionship, and physical duress both invigorating and thought-provoking. Contrary to the how-to-live-your-life genre, and in keeping with Nietzsche’s explosive and discomforting ideas, Kaag manages to ask all the right questions without irritably reaching for any palliative answers or solutions." — Morten Høi Jensen, Los Angeles Review of Books
"In Hiking with Nietzsche, Kaag explores how the idea of striving mentally and physically are tied together. To be honest, at this point in my life I’m probably never going to read Nietzsche, but Kaag’s clear writing and insight into why we get obsessed with peaks . . . rang true and made me feel slightly more enlightened." —Heather Hansman, Outside
"[Hiking with Nietzsche] artfully blends Nietzsche’s biography, an accessible yet subtle introduction to his big ideas, and Kaag’s own reminiscences . . . funny and moving." —Paul W. Gleason, Newsday
"Lively . . . a deeply personal account of a lifelong engagement with the philosopher's works." —Tatler Magazine (U.K.) (10 books to read this spring)
"Kaag has the perfect resume for this type of introspective blend of memoir and biography . . . He pairs breathtaking descriptions of the Sils region with Nietzsche’s fascinating personal history, providing a unique, engaging narrative . . . With Hiking with Nietzsche, Kaag can now add his own name to the list of thoughtful wanderers." —Becky Libourel Diamond, BookPage
"This isn’t a misery memoir or anything like that. This is a serious discussion of how philosophy relates to life, told through part of the author’s own life. It takes a very skillful writer to weave those things together in a way that is readable and interesting without seeming indulgent." —Nigel Warburton, Five Books (Best Philosophy Books of 2018)
"Meditative . . . thought provoking . . . Kaag has crafted a stirring account of a personal encounter with a great mind." —Publishers Weekly
"Kaag succeeds . . . through his courage to approach Nietzsche, and philosophy in general, from a personal—and not just intellectual—perspective . . . A meditative work full of self-understanding that will resonate with anyone who has ever been drawn toward the void." —Kirkus
"Fusing intense emotion with unflinching analysis, Kaag invites readers to make philosophy a life-elevating adventure." —Booklist
"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." —Library Journal
“A searing, very personal journey through John Kaag’s own Nietzschean abyss.” —Sue Prideaux, author of I Am Dynamite: A Life of Friedrich Nietzsche
“John Kaag is the perfect guide for this bold trek, a journey from solitude and yearning to mature acceptance and, well, love. An elegant reckoning with the tough questions, a challenging lesson in philosophy, a deep pleasure to read.” —James Carroll, author of Constantine’s Sword and The Cloister
“I never truly appreciated Friedrich Nietzsche. I might even have been a little afraid of him. But Hiking with Nietzsche changed that. John Kaag's luminous new book provides the reader with a deep understanding of and empathy for the philosopher's thought, along with capacious and original insights into companionship, marriage, fatherhood, solitude, decadence, self-deception, self-actualization, despair, and, finally, joy.” —Eileen Pollack, author of The Only Woman in the Room: Why Science Is Still a Boys' Club
08/01/2018
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.—Scott Duimstra, Capital Area Dist. Lib., Lansing, MI
2018-05-23
A philosopher's journey into the life, writings, and mountains of Nietzsche—and ultimately into himself.Nietzsche makes for a challenging hiking companion, not least for nonfiction writers, who risk having their own stories and prose overshadowed by comparison. Or, to follow this book's central metaphor, it is a challenge, once you set off with him, not to let Nietzsche carry the load. Kaag (Philosophy/Univ. of Massachusetts Lowell; American Philosophy: A Love Story, 2016, etc.) succeeds on this account through his courage to approach Nietzsche, and philosophy in general, from a personal—and not just intellectual—perspective. This allows Nietzsche to play a supportive role in Kaag's project of becoming. The author follows Nietzsche, for whom the "point of historical study was to enrich the present moment of experience." The philosopher trekked the mountains "to tread on the edge of the void." Kaag's present consists of a return trip to Sils Maria, Switzerland, where he had spent an intense period in his youth hiking, fasting, and reading Nietzsche, this time with his wife and young daughter. At the time, it wasn't clear exactly what he was hoping to find the second time around, but as he wandered the Alps and continued to read Nietzsche—he provides helpful summaries and analyses—he approached a significant psychic breaking point. The connection between philosophy and the author's life is not as seamless as it is in American Philosophy, but this is due in part to a difficulty of his subject. More than any other philosopher, Nietzsche asks not to be read as much as confronted. His writing is a challenge to us to become our true selves. That Kaag meets this challenge by determining his own ideals is all the proof needed to confirm that he chose the right companion for his journey.A meditative work full of self-understanding that will resonate with anyone who has ever been drawn toward the void.
