Gilles Deleuze's first book, devoted to David Hume, is often neglected when surveying his work. This is a peculiar state of affairs for any major philosopher, since the early works of important thinkers are frequently rich in meaning in relation to the later oeuvre. While none are significant as mitigating factors, there are a number of apparent reasons for the neglect. In the first instance, we cannot help but note the lack of any significant explicit presence of Hume's thought in Deleuze's philosophy. With the exception of a discussion of the Humean account of habit in Difference and Repetition (DR 70–4), and a short summary article (‘Hume’ [1972]), Hume's obvious presence in the Deleuzian corpus is entirely limited to this inaugural volume. It is easy to see his second book, Nietzsche and Philosophy, as the true opening moment of Deleuze's mature philosophical endeavour. Not only are the themes broached in the Nietzsche book returned to many times in later works, but Nietzsche himself remains a key point of reference throughout. Correlatively, the philosophical investments that motivate the Nietzsche book are very much closer to the philosophical position which becomes recognisable as Deleuze's own. Empiricism and Subjectivity on the other hand, is couched in terms which have no place in the mature Deleuze's work: association, laws of nature, purposiveness, passion and sympathy, all drawn from Hume's philosophy, never feature in any subsequent publication.