Exchanges Within: Questions from Everyday Life [Hardcover]

John Pentland (Author), Henry John Sinclair Pentland (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1997

Examines the concepts behind the teaching of Gurdjieff.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Most traditional ways of self-knowledge, whether psychological, philosophical or spiritual, emphasize the necessity of direct work with a teacher. This work entails an exchange of energies but also of ideas and observations. The energies are recorded only in the being of the student, but the observations, expressed through words, may be recorded on paper. Because esoteric traditions reserve a portion of their teachings only for initiates, any publication of hitherto sequestered records of such exchanges is a notable event. This extraordinary book presents selections from several decades' worth of discussions conducted at group meetings between students and John Pentland, a leader of the Gurdjieff Work from the late 1940s until his death in 1984. The influential psycho-spiritual teachings introduced by G.I. Gurdjieff (1866-1949) emphasize "self-observation" and "self-remembering" engaged within a definite cosmology with the aim of self-transformation. The myriad selections here have been chosen with care to allow the teachings to unfold within the unruly Q&A format, and to impress upon readers the extreme difficulty, yet real possibility, of seeing themselves as they truly are, as a necessary first step in transformation. "The beginning of evolution of oneself is sincerity," Pentland says. Those who read these "exchanges within" with attention and an open mind are bound to be moved by Pentland's own sincerity, and to benefit from his ability to solicit and to respond to the question behind the question. As a document of the dynamic search for truth among teacher and student, this work fascinates; as an adept extension in written form of that search, it can galvanize.

Copyright 1997 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

John Pentland was a student of the Ouspenskys, Gurdjieff, and Madame Jeanne de Salzmann, and was instrumental in spreading Gurdjieff's teaching throughout the United States. He was president of the Gurdjieff Foundation of New York from its inception in 1953, and established the Gurdjieff Foundation of California. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 395 pages
• Publisher: Continuum International Publishing Group (March 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0826410251
• ISBN-13: 978-0826410252
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,834,548 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Voice of the Work, December 31, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Exchanges Within: Questions from Everyday Life (Hardcover)

There are now hundreds of books about the Fourth Way and about the people who have influenced and contributed to it over the years. There are also other books about the practical aspect of work on oneself. These written endeavors often times face the almost inescapable limitation of being merely a dry menu listing of ideas on the subject. And from a practical pov, clearly missing is the essential person-to-person contact a student only receives with direct relationship with a teacher. However, as far as these books can go in giving a taste of Work toward Being, this one does and is a very positive contibution to the canon of the Fourth Way literature. Rarely does one encounter a book of the depth this one embodies. If you imagine that the working with these ideas is basically an intellectual exercise, then this book will probably disappoint. But if you are interested in peering deeper into the actual experience of the ideas and Work on Being, then this title can be of value. Not meant to be read as a "normal" book, each reading is a wealth of insightful thought and perspective and calls for the reader to look deeper within their own experience.

18 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars His understanding of the Human condition is extordinary, May 13, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Exchanges Within: Questions from Everyday Life (Hardcover)

I was given this book by an friend in passing, not knowing that Pentland had been published. I had the fortunite opportunity to hear Lord Pentland speak at Seminar quite a few years ago and was touched by what he spoke about in a most extordinary way. He had ability to use the english language in such a percise and focused manner, it was as thought he was talking with you personally. I walked away feeling as thought something very quite and diffinent had been deposited in me. Half way though the book I began to experiance that lost feeling so long ago forgotten begin to araise. I could hear him speak again as though I was back at the seminar. His ability to hear a persons question and start a dialoge from what seems to be exactly where the the individual ends in amazing. This is a book that should be kept close by to be read question by question, its richness is too much for one sitting

19 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pentland's insight, March 7, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Exchanges Within: Questions from Everyday Life (Hardcover)

Lord Pentland directed the Gurdjieff Work in the US for a great many years until his death. This book offers some of his insights collected at group meetings, where he was responding orally to queries from people of varying levels of understanding. His responses are NOT "formative ramblings", as one reviewer of limited understanding suggests, but flow directly from Lord Pentland's presence in the moment of response. This is a wonderful book, particularly for those involved in the Gurdjieff Foundation who are familiar with the formof a group meeting. Those who are not may be put off by the format, unless they take the trouble to establish a contemplative state in preparation.