In his foreword, Seyyed Hossein Nasr writes: "Over forty years have passed since the death of Ananda Coomaraswamy; yet his writings remain as pertinent today as when he wrote them, and his voice echoes in the ears of present-day seekers of truth and lovers of traditional art as it did a generation ago. In contrast to most scholarly works which become outdated and current philosophical opuses which become stale, Coomaraswamy's works possess a timeliness that flows from their being rooted in the eternal present. It is therefore with joy that one can welcome a new collection of essays of this formidable metaphysician and scholar."