Composed in the early fifteenth century, this is one of the most widely read Christian devotional works ever written. In four short books of brief, meditative chapters, Thomas à Kempis turns the reader's attention inward, away from worldly ambition, vanity, and distraction, and toward humility, self-knowledge, and the interior life of the soul. Its counsel is plain and searching: that true peace comes not from learning or status but from quietly following the example of Christ. Originally written for those in religious life, its gentle wisdom has spoken to readers of every kind for more than five centuries.