This memoir investigates the personal and philosophical influence of G.I. Gurdjieff on his students through the direct experiences of the author and his wife. Thomas de Hartmann, a composer and long-time pupil of Gurdjieff, provides a firsthand account of the rigorous training and psychological development practiced within the Gurdjieff Institute. The text serves as a primary source for understanding the practical application of Gurdjieff's 'Work' and the transformative impact of his teaching methods on his inner circle.

Scholars and practitioners of the Fourth Way consider this work a foundational text for understanding the interpersonal dynamics of Gurdjieff's inner circle. Readers frequently note that the prose is accessible and provides a humanizing perspective on a figure often shrouded in myth.