Nietzsche is by
no doubt one of the most profound and inspirational thinkers to read, but also
one of the hardest to grasp. To make life easier to those interested in getting
to know Nietzsche, we compiled a list of some of his top books, and best
places and order to start reading him.
Where to start reading Nietzsche?
Our best suggestion for your first Nietzsche book is his famous Thus Spoke Zarathustra: A Book for Everyone and No One. This book is more poetic and perhaps chaotic than others, but it's one of the best Nietzsche reading experiences which manifests much of his mature philosophy
The Twilight of the Idols and the Anti-Christ: or How to Philosophize with a Hammer is Nietzsche's declaration of war on the philosophy of his time. Take care not to let the philosophic hammer hit you on the head.
The Gay Science is where Nietzsche is perhaps at his best, and also the place where he tells us (for the first time) that God is dead.
Another popular choice is Beyond Good and Evil which sums up in its title Nietzsche's moral stance. This is a central book for everyone who wants to understand Nietzsche. This can be read along with On the Genealogy of Morals.
The Will to Power is another suggestive title for one of Nietzsche's most important books, dealing with what drives us humans forward.
The Birth of Tragedy: Out of the Spirit of Music is one of Nietzsche's early work dealing with ancients powers of creativity.
Human, All Too Human is a highly varied book
with hundreds of aphorisms in which Nietzsche expresses both a personal crisis
and his mature thought.
Nietzsche Collections and Readers
Another good option for your first Nietzsche book is one of the introductory collections and readers. Here are some of the available options:
