--- product_id: 17208178 title: "Gurdjieff: An Introduction to His Life and Ideas" price: "17.83 DT" currency: TND in_stock: false reviews_count: 10 url: https://www.desertcart.tn/products/17208178-gurdjieff-an-introduction-to-his-life-and-ideas store_origin: TN region: Tunisia --- # Gurdjieff: An Introduction to His Life and Ideas **Price:** 17.83 DT **Availability:** ❌ Out of Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Gurdjieff: An Introduction to His Life and Ideas - **How much does it cost?** 17.83 DT with free shipping - **Is it available?** Currently out of stock - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.tn](https://www.desertcart.tn/products/17208178-gurdjieff-an-introduction-to-his-life-and-ideas) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description A dramatic and literate introduction to one of the twentieth century's most influential and intriguing spiritual teachers. Born in the shifting border between Turkey and Russia in 1866, G. I. Gurdjieff is a man who would continually straddle borders-between East and West, between man and something higher than man, between the ancient teachings of esoteric schools and the modern application of those ideas in contemporary life. In many respects-from the concept of group meetings to the mysterious workings of the enneagram to his critique of humanity as existing in a state of sleep-Gurdjieff pioneered the culture of spiritual search that has taken root in the West today. While many of Gurdjieff's students-including Frank Lloyd Wright, Katharine Mansfield, and P. D. Ouspensky-are well known, few understand this figure possessed of complex writings and sometimes confounding methods. In Gurdjieff: An Introduction to His Life and Ideas , the acclaimed novelist John Shirley-one of the founders of the cyberpunk genre-presents a lively, reliable explanation of how to approach the sage and his ideas. In accessible, dramatic prose Shirley retells that which we know of Gurdjieff's life; he surveys the teacher's methods and the lives of his key students; and he helps readers to enter the unparalleled originality of this remarkable teacher. Review: Dick’s bad trips. But it's also something more - G.I Gurdjieff was an early 20th century mystic. His emanationist philosophy was a flowering branch on the tree that sprouted the gnostics, the Kabbalists, and Philip K. Dick’s bad trips. The practical application of that philosophy was a long hard road. Shirley offers a loving portrait of the man — and illuminates his thinking like a flash of summer lighting. What’s revealed ain't no feel-good New Age fortune cookie. Gurdjieff’s ideas are diamond bullets aimed at your conventional sense of self. The robotic nature of 99.99% of human existence being one; the correct definition of free will being another. (Evidently your real self isn’t something you find; it’s more like a construction project.) Shirley's lucid book is a doorway into the Work, not a substitute. Walk through it while you can. Review: Very Good - Although I am not new in the "Work", it is always very stimulating to come across a nice and well written literary work about such a man as Mr Gurdjieff, or simply G. No matter how much deep we dig into our selves, to me at least, this man still stand above us in his sharp and compassionate view of our own possibilities. In reading Mr Shirley book, one gets the feeling and the atmosphere of those first years of the "work", in a time where the world was (like today!), very much immersed in deep sleep (wars...). But I do have one little piece of criticism, nothing that denegrates the work itself, but an attitude commom among orthodox Gurdjieff followers. That is, the subtle negativity directed towards Mr Ouspensky. One can feel that throgought the book, and it is my belief that the work (or Mr G) does not need anyone defending its purity, or making sure everyone undertands that Mr G was really THE TEACHER. Other than this minor mistake (in my view, of course), the book is very pleasent to read and well structured. I do recommend. ## Features - Used Book in Good Condition ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #3,078,600 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #976 in Historical Russia Biographies #2,054 in Historical Asian Biographies (Books) #5,615 in Spiritualism | | Customer Reviews | 4.4 out of 5 stars 25 Reviews | ## Images ![Gurdjieff: An Introduction to His Life and Ideas - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61oat+8rlPL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Dick’s bad trips. But it's also something more *by M***E on March 27, 2017* G.I Gurdjieff was an early 20th century mystic. His emanationist philosophy was a flowering branch on the tree that sprouted the gnostics, the Kabbalists, and Philip K. Dick’s bad trips. The practical application of that philosophy was a long hard road. Shirley offers a loving portrait of the man — and illuminates his thinking like a flash of summer lighting. What’s revealed ain't no feel-good New Age fortune cookie. Gurdjieff’s ideas are diamond bullets aimed at your conventional sense of self. The robotic nature of 99.99% of human existence being one; the correct definition of free will being another. (Evidently your real self isn’t something you find; it’s more like a construction project.) Shirley's lucid book is a doorway into the Work, not a substitute. Walk through it while you can. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very Good *by H***N on August 12, 2004* Although I am not new in the "Work", it is always very stimulating to come across a nice and well written literary work about such a man as Mr Gurdjieff, or simply G. No matter how much deep we dig into our selves, to me at least, this man still stand above us in his sharp and compassionate view of our own possibilities. In reading Mr Shirley book, one gets the feeling and the atmosphere of those first years of the "work", in a time where the world was (like today!), very much immersed in deep sleep (wars...). But I do have one little piece of criticism, nothing that denegrates the work itself, but an attitude commom among orthodox Gurdjieff followers. That is, the subtle negativity directed towards Mr Ouspensky. One can feel that throgought the book, and it is my belief that the work (or Mr G) does not need anyone defending its purity, or making sure everyone undertands that Mr G was really THE TEACHER. Other than this minor mistake (in my view, of course), the book is very pleasent to read and well structured. I do recommend. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Good summery of a great thinker and teacher *by M***T on April 17, 2013* You might know author John Shirley from his cyberpunk novels, his Blue Oyster Cult lyrics, or screenplays (The Crow, for one.) In this book he summarizes the life and teachings of G.I Gurdjieff, one of the more illustrious figures from the early days of the New Age. He was a contemporary of Crowley and Blavatsky, but found his own way and taught his own style of mysticism. He doesn't get the attention that many others do, but deserves to... I'm no expert but was curious what Gurdjieff was all about and this book is a marvelous introduction to the life and teachings of a very complex man. Shirley's writing style is clear and concise, he cites sources when needed but not to the point of distraction. I will certainly be reading more; no one book can do this man justice but here is a great place to start. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.tn/products/17208178-gurdjieff-an-introduction-to-his-life-and-ideas](https://www.desertcart.tn/products/17208178-gurdjieff-an-introduction-to-his-life-and-ideas) --- *Product available on Desertcart Tunisia* *Store origin: TN* *Last updated: 2026-06-06*