Lachman Gary. In Search of P.D. Ouspensky: The Genius in the Shadow of Gurdjieff

2nd Edition — Quest Books, 2006. — 352 p.P. D. Ouspensky's classic work In Search of the Miraculous was the first to disseminate the ideas of G. I. Gurdjieff, the mysterious master of esoteric thought in the early twentieth century who still commands a following today. Gurdjieff's mystique has long eclipsed Ouspensky, once described by Gurdjieff as "nice to drink vodka with, but a weak man". Yet Ouspensky was a brilliant, accomplished philosopher in his own right, and some consider his meeting with the charismatic "Mr. G." the catastrophe of his life. Indeed, in subsequent years Ouspensky tried hard, with limited success, to break away. This book moves Ouspensky's own story center stage, against the backdrop of the Russian Revolution, the dervishes of Constantinople, and a cosmopolitan Europe entre deux guerres. The archetypal encounter it describes echoes that of Don Juan and Castaneda, or perhaps Mephistopheles and Faust. One of the great mystical adventures of our time, it will fascinate everyone interested in the farthest reaches of what it means to be human. The paperback edition includes a new chapter on Gary Lachman's own former work in Gurdjieff's psychology.Gary Lachman is the author of more than a dozen books on the meeting ground between consciousness, culture, and the western esoteric tradition. He is a regular contributor to several journals in the US and UK and he regularly lectures on his work in the US, UK, and Europe. He has appeared on many television and radio programs and in documentaries and is Adjunct Professor in the Evolution on Consciousness at the California Institute of Integral Studies. His work has been translated into a dozen languages. In a previous life he was a founding member of the rock group Blondie and in 2006 was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. A native of New Jersey, since 1996 he has lived in London, England.