The Herald of Coming Good: First Appeal to Contemporary Humanity

Gurdjieff's first published book, issued in Paris in 1933 as a prospectus and appeal to contemporary humanity preceding his major literary works. Written at the Café de la Paix on a date he describes as a triple coincidence — the completion of his preliminary writings, the completion of the first series, and the final day of a twenty-one-year oath — the book announces his intentions as a writer and outlines the principles motivating his life's work. It is remarkable as his most direct autobiographical statement, explaining why he chose to live an artificial life modelled on a deliberate programme for over two decades. Gurdjieff describes his aim as instilling in the consciousness of his contemporaries certain psychic-initiative factors — above all, the moral obligation to help one's neighbour — and presents the book itself as an instrument toward that end. Unusually, he offered it at no fixed price and requested buyers to answer registration questions, framing the act of purchase as the first step in a relationship. He later disowned the book and attempted to suppress it, making it one of the most controversial and sought-after texts in the Fourth Way canon.