About a month ago, I reviewed Adam Kirsh’s excellent Why Trilling Matters here. I enjoyed that book so much, I decided to read another book in the Yale University Press “Why X Matters” series. I chose Why Arendt Matters because I’ve read several of Hannah Arendt’s books and found them thought-provoking.  Arendt is best known for her Origins of Totalitarianism. And for her phrase “the banality of evil” in Eichmann in Jerusalem. Young-Bruehl defends Arendt’s controversial relationship with Nazi philosopher, Martin Heidegger. I really enjoy these “Why X Matters” books because they illuminate their subjects in a brief but comprehensive overview. And they point to resources where you can do further research if you feel so inclined. GRADE: B+