Um livro surpreendente que mistura os dramas familiares de um professor de filosofia, seu diário de (várias) viagens e reflexões sobre Friedrich Nietzsche. O professor de filosofia da Universidade do Massachusetts John Kaag refaz, com sua esposa e a filha pequena, as trilhas dos Alpes suíços percorridas por Friedrich Nietzsche quando este escreveu "Assim Falou Zaratustra", e pelo próprio Kaag, quando era um jovem introspectivo de dezenove anos. No caminho, Kaag traça paralelos entre suas duas viagens, a relação com a família e a carreira e os textos do filósofo alemão. A combinação de relato de viagem familiar e investigação filosófica faz lembrar o clássico "Zen e a Arte da Manutenção de Motocicletas" Assim como na aclamada estréia de Kaag, American Philosophy: A Love Story, ele une perfeitamente suas descobertas filosóficas com sua busca por significado. Caminhando com Nietzsche é uma exploração fascinante não apenas dos ideais de Nietzsche, mas também de como sua experiência de vida se relaciona conosco, como indivíduos, no século XXI. Ousado, íntimo e rico em insights, Caminhando com Nietzsche é sobre derrotar a complacência, equilibrar sanidade e loucura e lidar com o inatingível. A medida que Kaag caminha, sozinho ou com sua família, porém sempre com Nietzsche, ele reconhece que até escorregar pode ser instrutivo. É no processo de escalada e seus inevitáveis erros que se tem a chance, nas palavras de Nietzsche, de "tornar-se quem se é".

I remembered within the first thirty or so pages that I don’t care about Nietzsche and I also discovered that I don’t care very much about his admirers either. I’m sure this exposes some huge gap in my education or intellect but what the hell, that’s just who I am...

I think Kaag is a good writer though.

I liked John Kaag's previous book, American Philosophy: A Love Story, and enjoyed this one also, though not as much.
It's hard to understand what Nietzsche was up to, hard to understand his own aphoristic works, so Kaag provided a good introduction for me.
The memior parts of this book, about Kaag's early fascination with Nietzsche and his return to the Swiss Alps together with his wife and young daughter, were not as happy a story as in his earlier book.
I don't expect to want to learn more about, Nietzsche, but John Kaag does write well and I do want to read his next memoir. ( )

Started off really good but he lost me at the halfway point. ( )

Kaag takes you on a philosophical tour of Nietzsche’s stomping grounds from two very different perspectives. Maybe that’s why the book works so well, crisscrossing and showing different takes on the same timeless thoughts.

His 19 year old self sounds a lot like me at the age: unfocused, unsure, and yearning to understand more of the world. His present, 30-year-old-with-a-wife-and-child self is grounded to reality. He’s a man who is still unsure of his place in the world but has carved a niche for himself.

Keeping this in mind, he takes you on a tour of the Swiss Alps, retracing Nietzsche’s steps and trying to figure out why he thought the things he did. We get thought-provoking glimpses into Nietzsche’s mind, giving us insight into someone who was truly special and ahead of his time, so to say.

There’s a lot to unpack from the book, but all I’ll say is that I had a great time with it. Highly recommended for those getting into Nietzsche or have similar world views. ( )