A pocket book collection of anecdotes, observations, Teaching Stories and question-and-answer exchanges between the Sufi teacher and his students.

Idries Shah’s Letters and Lectures is a compilation of potent teaching material from the contemporary Sufi tradition.

The stories and expositions in this compendium touch upon such topics as: humour in the Sufi way, the False Self, sectarianism, the impact of ritual, and the effects of greed.

This informative, insightful and sometimes hilarious patchwork of narratives and wisdoms demonstrates how a smaller-sized work can have an upsized impact.

Idries Shah was born in India in 1924 into an aristocratic Afghan family. He was an author and teacher in the Sufi tradition and is considered one of the leading thinkers of the 20th century.

Shah devoted his life to collecting, translating and adapting key works of Sufi classical literature for the needs of the West. Called by some 'practical philosophy' - these works represent centuries of Sufi and Islamic thought aimed at developing human potential. His best-known works include the seminal book The Sufis, several collections of teaching stories featuring the ‘wise fool’ Nasrudin, Reflections and Knowing How to Know.

Shah's corpus - over three dozen books on topics ranging from psychology and spirituality to travelogues and cultural studies - have been translated into two dozen languages and have sold millions of copies around the world. They are regarded as an important bridge between the cultures of East and West.