The Art of the Self a Propos "Steps" is a critical essay setting forth some of the philosophical concepts of the self that Kosinski drew upon in the novel.

Kosinski also discusses the aesthetic principles that he sought to apply in his experimental techniques.

Norman Lavers provides a good analysis of the resemblances between Steps and The Devil Tree (1973). The latter portrays Jonathan Whalen's quest to find his identity through a number of short episodes arranged achronologically, as in Steps; it also depicts a number of scenes throughout the world in which people are seeking dominance over others through violence and cruelty; Whalen's relationship with Karen provides a recurrent focus in the novel, even as the protagonist's conversations with the young woman did in Steps.

Although Whalen, the wealthy young heir to an industrial fortune, has a far different background from the nameless protagonist of Steps...