Where to start with Heidegger?

[Cliff]

If someone who had never read Heidegger before asked you where to start, what would you recommend to them?

Strangely I would not recommend diving headlong into Heidegger's works themselves. Beginning with Ortega y Gasset's History as a System and other Essays Toward a Philosophy of History instead will introduce you to many concepts and themes akin to Heideggerian thought but which are expressed much more tersely and clearly. After that I would probably get a copy of Heidegger's Basic Writings, which contains many essays on diverse subjects such as art, science, metaphysics, mathematics, and technology. Most notably it contains "Letter on Humanism", Heidegger's response to Sartre's Existentialism is a Humanism - both of which are excellent essays. So all in all here is my recommended reading list for newcomers to Heidegger:

1. History as a System ~ José Ortega y Gasset
2. Existentialism is a Humanism ~ Jean-Paul Sartre
3. Basic Writings (start with the essay "Letter on Humanism") ~ Heidegger

That should get you started.

As an anti-recommendation, do not dive directly into Being and Time if you have never read Heidegger before. Even though - in my opinion - it is his best work, I believe you will enjoy it more if you are already accustomed to Heidegger's style of thinking/writing.

[Onur]

Any urge to continue discussion?