Chapter 1, Introduction Summary and Analysis

G. I. Gurdjieff (January 13, 1886? - October 29, 1949) explains that this book is a continuation of an earlier work, Beelzebub's Tales to His Grandson, and also a segue to a planned third work, all of which he intends to publish in order to give to the world his complete set of ideas, insights, wisdom, and directions for humankind to live better lives. His followers published this book ten years after his death.

A highly opinionated man, Gurdjieff extols the virtues that he has discovered over many years of living and traveling the lands of Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Russia, Egypt, Georgia, and various others, including Europe and the United States. He has deep contempt for the minds of modern man, but he maintains that we all feel certain things universally. An example of this is the terror of facing death as the...