Wittgenstein said of Beethoven: “That’s exactly the sort of man to be”. And I say the same for Wittgenstein.

If you are interested in Wittgenstein, this biography is a gem. If you aren’t, you will be, as soon as you start reading. This book and Davenport’s short essay on W. are the best pieces of writing to pique interest in his writing by showing his character. How

If you want to know the road to be an original and authentic philosopher, read this magnificent life through this great book. Wittgenstein's life will teach you that there is an ethical and moral side in being philosopher. Being philosopher is not about eating books or theorizing on abstracts. Rather, it's about seeing things clearly. And for your way of seeing things to be clear, and hence your philosophy, you need to be ethically clear. You need to be honest to your self, honest to your purposes and serious. Monk was absolutely right in naming the book the way he did: Wittgenstein took his work and philosophy seriously and carried it as a duty to himself and to humanity.
I would argue that even for those who are not particularly interested in philosophy whatsoever, the book still is a treasure. I am 22 years old, and I cannot overestimate the influence the book had on me, philosophically and generally. It changed the way I perceive things. It taught me that doing philosophy (even doing life in general sense) is a continuous ongoing activity: ongoing war against temptations of thought and behavior.

Actually read this before I read any Wittgenstein. It’s will written and interesting, though maybe a bit longer than it needed to be.