"Genius of the Heart" recounts the tragic conditions of Nietzsche's life -- sickness, loneliness, oblivion -- and demonstrates how his philosophical ideas were crafted as responses to them. In the end, we find that Nietzsche faced down these demons and created for himself a life for which he was eternally grateful. From studying this courageous effort, we can begin to think about how we might face the conditions of our lives today. Written for the educated layperson, no previous acquaintance with Nietzsche or with philosophy in general is presumed.