The five essays in this collection are based on P. D. Ouspensky’s talks and answers to questions, transcribed at private meetings in England and the United States from 1931 to 1946. They bring contemporary readers the wisdom of Gurdjieff as interpreted and refined by a spiritual master in his own right. Topics include “Memory,” “Surface Personality,” “Self-Will,” “Negative Emotions,” and “Notes on Work.” These essays argue persuasively that direct observation of self is the key to awakening from the "waking sleep" that characterizes life for so many.