How to Read Like a Parasite : Why the Left Got High on Nietzsche

A how-to guide for the left on how to overcome Nietzsche's divisive and damaging influence.

"Beautifully written and bursting with spirit, How to Read Like a Parasite is destined to be vital reading." - Matthew McManus, author of Nietzsche and the Politics of Reaction

How to Read Like a Parasite is a critical guide for the left, showing how to overcome Nietzsche's divisive influence and avoid falling prey to his reactionary politics.

Key insights include:

- A thorough critique of the popular, apolitical interpretation of Nietzsche's philosophy
- Analysis of core Nietzschean concepts like perspectivism, ressentiment, and the eternal return
- Historical context of Nietzsche's life and works, revealing a sophisticated reactionary political vision at the heart of his ideas
- Case studies of prominent left-Nietzscheans, including Jack London, Gilles Deleuze, Wendy Brown, and Huey Newton

This book provides a clear path for the left to read and engage with Nietzsche without adopting his harmful ideological underpinnings.

Daniel Tutt is a philosopher and educator based in Washington, DC. He writes on Marxism, philosophy, and psychoanalysis and has taught philosophy at George Washington University, the Washington, DC jail and Marymount University. Tutt is a podcaster with Repeater and Zer0 Books. His first book, Psychoanalysis and the Politics of the Family (2022) is published with the Palgrave Lacan Series and has been hailed by philosopher Isabel Millar as “essential reading.”