Heidegger enthusiastically joined the nazis when they were merely a fringe political party and remained loyal. Wittgenstein, an ascetic, was nevertheless subject to very elaborate fits of rage. Renowned for the work of their minds, their lives were often sad, mad, chaotic and morally questionable, as were those of Foucault, Nietzsche, Rousseau, Russell, Sartre and Schopenhauer. Examining all, the authors find the life and the work are seldom entirely unconnected. The authors have been careful to include reactions by eye-witnesses, such as D.H. Lawrence's reaction to the hatred swirling in Bertrand Russell and the backlash of various lovers and children, but the result is as objective as a Freudian interpretation can be. After reading this, undergraduates may be disinclined to take any philosopher's work completely seriously. Distributed by Dufour Editions. Annotation ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)