Twilight of the Idols, or, How to Philosophize with a Hammer is a book by Friedrich Nietzsche, written in 1888, and published in 1889. Twilight of the Idols was written in just over a week, between 26 August and 3 September 1888, while Nietzsche was on holiday in Sils Maria. As Nietzsche's fame and popularity were spreading both inside and outside Germany, he felt that he needed a text that would serve as a short introduction to his work. Nietzsche wrote about Twilight in a letter, “This style is my philosophy in a nutshell - radically up to criminal...” (Diese Schrift ist meine Philosophie in nuce — radikal bis zum Verbrechen…)” Turin, 20 October 1888. To Georg Brandes. Originally titled A Psychologist's Idleness, it was renamed Twilight of the Idols or, How to Philosophize with a Hammer.