An author and artist of the occult, Spare first created and published this book in 1913. His work can be compared to William Blake or Aubrey Beardsley; however it is more involved with witchcraft and sorcery. The illustrations contain hieroglyphics that Spare believed were the remains of an occult language; they were used by priests performing magical rituals. Spare himself believed he was in communications with extra-terrestrial intelligences. He sent a copy of "The Book of Pleasure" to Sigmund Freud who described it as "one of the most significant revelations of subconscious mechanisms that had appeard in modern times." Kenneth Grant contributed an introduction and biography to this 1975 edition of 1000 numbered copies; the Sackner copy is unnumbered.Spare conceived of the notion of "Sigils" in his philosophy. Sigils are monograms of thought, for the government of energy, e.g., all heraldry, crests, momograms, are Sigils and the Karma they govern. Sigils are made by combing simplified letters of the alphabet. He provides hand drawn examples on the text that are prototypic, concrete poetic in nature. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.