In this volume, the author, a great French savant and one of the finest examples of Gallic grace in intellectual culture, presents a fascinating and graphic account of Swami Vivekananda's life and message. Though it is specially written for the western readers, nonetheless, its importance and value for all the admirers and devotees of the great Swami needs no emphasis. While turning the pages of this literary masterpiece, the readers are bound to feel the touch of a mind trained in the Western mode of critical analysis and scientific investigation.
My name should not be made prominent. It is my ideas that I want to see realized. The disciples of all the prophets have always inextricably mixed up the ideas of the Master with person, and at last killed the ideas for the person.The disciples of Sri Ramakrishna must guard against doing the same thing. Work for the idea, not the person.
-Swami Vivekananda