I learned of Schopenhauer listening to Joseph Campbell. Campbell credited him with being pivotal in his thinking of mythology so I wanted to know more. I first had to figure out how to spell "Schopenhauer," and once that was accomplished I found this book on tape. I would definately recommend listening to this, not reading it. It is a bit dry, but it does what it is supposed to do; gives you the basics of the philosopher who said that "Life is a thing that should not have been." What it didn't do is spend enough time on the entire philosophy of this man. I could have done with less life story and more philosophical structure.