This is a faithful record of a series of talks given by Swami Vivekananda to a group of his intimate friends and disciples who gathered around him at a quite out-of- the-way cottage in Thousand Island Park on the St. Lawrence river. These talks, not being regular lectures, were taken in long hand and safely preserved by a loving lady disciple, Miss S. E. Waldo. Those inspiring words were first brought out as a book in 1908 by Swami Ramakrishnananda to bring comfort and solace to all souls.
The language is simple and concise, appealing straight to the heart and the intellect as well. Swami Vivekananda, known to many as a thundering orator and a convincing debator, is seen here like a peaceful Vedic rishi sitting in the midst of a few ardent souls, mildly disseminating the message of peace and bliss and uttering words of profoundest wisdom.