Foucault /

All too infrequently does one major thinker provide an extended interpretation of the thought of a contemporary who is both a friend and an intellectual equal. One of the leading figures in French poststructuralist philosophy, Deleuze has provided the first major study to appear out of the same tradition in which Foucault worked. First published in France in 1986, Deleuze offers a reading of Foucault's career that focuses on three themes/texts: knowledge (The Archaeology of Knowledge, 1972), power (Discipline and Punish, CH, May '78), and subjectivation (The History of Sexuality, CH, v.1, Feb '79; v.2, Apr '86; v.3, Oct '87). His insights into the workings of power/knowledge and the primacy of power over knowledge in Foucault's writings are important for all readers interested in understanding Foucault's early works. In addition, Deleuze's extended commentary on Foucault's uncompleted History of Sexuality will be an important source for anyone trying to understand Foucault's last works, their links with his earlier works, and the way Deleuze's own projects overlapped those of Foucault. Although Foucault is not so comprehensive as the H. Dreyfus and P. Rabinow commentary (Michel Foucault: Beyond Structuralism and Hermeneutics, CH, May '83), this short text is a major contribution to our understanding of Foucault's thought and its connections with the thought of Nietzsche, Heidegger, and Deleuze himself. Very highly recommended for all academic libraries, both undergraduate and graduate. A. D. Schrift Grinnell College