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How have I not read this earlier

It's entirely possible that Virno has written the book that's been mulling about in my head for a while now. Only way better D:

The cover art for this alone - Titian's The Bacchanal of the Andrians - makes me love the feeling of carrying this book around. And that's to say nothing yet of the stunning it is.

One essay to go. This has been one of the longest - if still stupidly rewarding - reads I've ever done.

In the wake of all my Agamben reading this is a real breath of fresh air. Deals with some very similar themes in a totally different way. For one, Virno actually discusses work and labour, rather than endless (if still fascinating) theological exegesis. Also, the blend of Marx and Arendt, updated for the post-Fordist economy, is both creative and convincing.

So, er, I accidentally ended up rereading this almost in its entirety in the last couple of days. I only meant to dip back in into the opening essays on language, and now... well now, I'm almost though the whole damn thing. It's so, so, good though. After reading Karman and the Sacrament, something's 'clicked' about Agamben for me, and it's kicking my philosophical butt all over the place (in a good way!).

Rereading this in the wake of Agamben's 'Karman', and it's more interesting and decisive than I originally took it to be, I think.

Evens is my favourite Deleuzian.

Ever since he 'finished' the Homo Sacer series (with 'The Use of Bodies'), Agamben has been pumping out these little books ('Taste', 'What Is Philosophy?'), which are really some of the best stuff he's ever written. It's like he's refreshed and recharged having freed himself from the fetters of the project, and imo he's at the height of his philosophical powers right now.