Well, Strathern is certainly entertaining, if not informative. He gives us the dirt on each philosopher, tells us who was overweight, cheap, pushed people around, etc. This would be great if we were reading about movie stars or politicians but I bought these books in order to understand something about what these philosophers thought. He does reserve a few pages at the end of each volume to tells us one or two of their ideas and gives us a handful of quotes. A total waste of money unless you hate your philosophy classes so much that you want to hear how awful the personal lives of the philosophers were. A new low in publishing.

This is really not a good book if you are really interested in what Nietzsche was all about. If you are trying to throw together a paper that needs a bunch of quotes, however...

I wanted an idea of what I was getting myself into before I clawed my way thru "Thus Spake Zarathustra" and this was just the book to get my attention. Some of my favorite quotes by Nietzsche aren't included, but they really aren't that important for achieving a basic understanding.

If you are really into philosophy, you probably aren't buying the "90 Minute" books. If you are doing graduate level work, you'd better not be in the "90 Minute" books. If you're taking philosophy at a community college just because you like taking classes, this book may save you a lot of time.

I liked it, I still use it, but I don't rely on it!

Strathern's book on Nietzsche provides a nice, easily readable summary of Nietzsche's life and work. Much of the book is devoted to his personal life, which brings the man to life. But his main philosophical ideas are also covered. Strathern also shows how Nietzsche's work fits into the bigger picture of philosophy. It is a great read for someone who wants to learn the basics of Nietzsche but who doesn't have much time.