Walter Benjamin scholars obsess over not only his published work but also his scribblings on scraps of paper: His range of interests and the highly personal style in which he limned them make him read like a brilliant, charming friend. This book includes pages from Benjamin’s diaries, envelopes and postcards on which he jotted down ideas, and notebooks he filled with hundreds of cramped words. Benjamin’s way with aphorisms makes the volume a treasure trove of philosophical speculation.