Nietzsche Now!: The Great Immoralist on the Vital Issues of Our Time

by Glenn Wallis

For readers both acquainted with and new to the writings of Friedrich Nietzsche, Nietzsche NOW! frames and explains Nietzsche’s thinking on topics of immediate contemporary concern and relevance. Wallis unpacks Nietzsche’s complex philosophy with a deft, empathetic, and brilliantly subtle analysis of the views of the Great Immoralist on democracy, identity, civilization, consciousness, religion, and other momentous topics. Throughout, Wallis includes ample extracts from Nietzsche himself.

Rather than skirting what is controversial or editing for easy consumption, Wallis invites readers to exercise a courageous curiosity that yields a rich, nuanced understanding of Nietzsche. In Nietzsche NOW! he takes readers on a sometimes counterintuitive, always revelatory journey to grasp the relevance of Nietzsche for our contentious times.

Nietzsche NOW! contains Wallis’s original German translations of Nietzsche’s writings from the critical edition along with insights drawn from a decades-long close study of Nietzsche’s works and their academic reception.

312 pages, Paperback

Published April 21, 2024

Reviews

[Lachlan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid introduction of Nietzsche’s thought and his relevance today. Glenn Wallis is a generous and personable guide (I would very much recommend listening to his podcast appearances) and an important thinker whose interests cross continental philosophy, Buddhism and political anarchism.

Nietzsche Now is perhaps a little basic for those who are familiar with Nietzsche’s works, or who do not need the access points of contemporary political issues (identity, wokeness, democracy, ideology), but sure to be a good resources for newcomers.

[Michael Baranowski · Rating 2 out of 5]

An interesting attempt to bring to bear Nietzsche's thought to a number of present-day concerns, but ultimately unsatisfying. Wallis' habit of starting each section with "Buckle up!" felt forced and was more than a little annoying. It might be a book that has some value for people who don't have the time or interest to read Nietzsche - I'm no Nietzsche expert, but I've read a number of his works, and Wallis' book didn't end up doing much for me. (But perhaps I'm not the audience he's aiming for - people who've read just enough Nietzsche to think they sort of understand him - with this book.)