On New Year's Eve 1922/23, the (first) Goetheanum--an architectural marvel and the "House of the Word" intended to stand as the fully realized physical, artistic embodiment of Anthroposophy on Earth--was deliberately destroyed by fire. This was an unfathomably heavy blow to Steiner and the entire anthroposophic movement. Afterward, however, he was adamant that not a single lecture or event scheduled to take place at the destroyed Goetheanum should be canceled or postponed. He himself carried on with an even more determined, fiery resolve. The course of lectures in this book began on January 5, 1923, as living testament to that resolve. As truly relevant today as they were in 1923, this volume is an exceptionally urgent, heartfelt articulation of what could be considered Steiner's core message and plea to modern humanity: For the sake of the future, wake up