Admired for the poetical heights of his , the gentle wit of his prose dialogues and the soul-searching questionings of his ( ), Leopardi was also an acute social commentator and a sharp dissector of the human mind. – a collection of philosophical and critical observations put together for publication by Leopardi himself shortly before his death in 1837 – shows a more light-hearted side to Leopardi's personality, and offers both those who are familiar with and those who are new to his works a fresh insight into the thought processes and the worldview of Italy's last great polymath.