Gur Zak examines Petrarch's humanist philosophy and his concept of the self, and argues that both are defined by Petrarch's idea of care for the self. Examining his vernacular poetry and his Latin works from both literary and historical perspectives, Zak explores Petrarch's attempts to use writing as a spiritual exercise.

In this book, Gur Zak examines two central issues in Petrarch's works - his humanist philosophy and his concept of the self.