Introduction

During the period 1981 - 1996 I wrote and published five books, entitled "The Grand Design I-V", in collaboration with a spirit being known to me as Shebaka. The books were subsequently published in two volumes in 2000 by Hampton Roads Publishing Company in America.

To date, Volume I has been translated into German and Spanish (an expanded edition) and published in Germany and Mexico, respectively.

This book represents a new development for me in that, while text consists of excerpts from "The Grand Design" series, each page is faced by a related illustration. In all my communication with Shebaka I have been conscious of his ever-bubbling sense of humor and his gentle reminders that we humans tend to take ourselves too seriously. I think that Michel's illustrations have wonderfully captured the spirit, including the profundity and yet the simplicity, of Shebaka's teachings.

Born in France and educated in both France and America, Michel has drawn ever since he could hold a pencil. He is also very active in the fields of photography, writing and international publishing.

Patrick Francis (Patrick McMahon)
November 2002