okay i've been trained both in sociology and philosophy and would say the book brings the poorest of both worlds.. never believed in intellectual history in general, but this kind of book, with its judgements about Kierkeggardian or Wittgensteinian 'individualism' as a 'natural pathology' of early twentieth century continental bourgeoise society, does nothing but buttress the self-complacency of our now liberal societies. Therefore despite some 'interesting' anectodes and impressions from Habsburg Vienna, the philosophical depth of the book doesnt go above our usual journalistic wisdom. I dont understand how other reviewers found this book brilliant or anything like that. I think recommendable as passtime only.

This book is an attempt to situate Wittgenstein, particularly the Wittgenstein of the Tractatus, in the context of the larger modern 20th century Viennese cultural milieux. It emphasizes the importance of language and communication, or the lack thereof, in fin-de-siecle Viennese politics and society, and relates the interactions and mutual influences of Viennese cultural critics such as Karl Kraus upon the positive philosophy of Wittgenstein and the Vienna Circle. It is not intended as an introduction to Wittenstein's thought and should not be read as such. This book is written for students of cultural and/or philosophical history who want a sense of the cultural origins of early modern positivism in philosophy.

From the turn of the century until the Nazi Anschluss Vienna was a city of amazing artistic and intellectual creativity. The psychological theories of Freud and Adler, the final development of "Jugendstil" or "art nouveau" in art and architecture, authors such as Schnitzler, Friedell, Kraus and Altenberg, the philosophic and scientific thinking of the Vienna Circle, the "Kaffeehaus" culture...this was all a part of Wittgenstein's Vienna. Vienna at this time was truly a phenomenon, exceeding any other city (including Berlin and Paris) in its intellectual and cultural ferveur. This book discusses this phenomenon with a view towards its effects on Wittgenstein and his philosophy. It is well-researched and scholarly in style, i.e. no tourist book. For a more biographical approach, "The Duty of Genius" by Ray Monk is also excellent.