As a young man of eighteen, James Finley left home for an unlikely destination: the Abbey of Gethsemani, where Thomas Merton lived as a contemplative. Finley stayed at the monastery for six maturing years and later wrote this book in order to share with his readers a taste of what he had learned on his spiritual journey under the guidance of one of the great religious figures of our day. At the heart of the quest for spiritual identity are Thomas Merton's illuminating insights--leading from an awareness of the false and illusory self to a realization of the true self. For over forty years Merton's Palace of Nowhere has been the standard for exploring, reflecting on, and understanding this rich vein of Merton's thought. Dog-eared, tattered, underlined copies are found on the bookshelves of spiritual searchers everywhere. Now this 40th Anniversary edition brings this classic to a whole new generation.