Bernadette Roberts stated that she wrote this third book in her series because the previous two ('The Experience of No-Self' and 'The Path to No-Self') didn't give a full enough explanation of her message. For many readers, this latest effort puts all her insights into clearer and sharper perspective. In this book, Ms Roberts explains her concepts about ego, self, and the revelations of the contemplative life in a deeper and more mature fashion, as though her own journey has grown clearer with distance. Readers have remarked that without her understanding and excellent ability to convey so many aspects of the contemplative path (and beyond), much of what she writes about would go unnoticed, or worse yet, misunderstood.