It was 150 years ago. It was Saturday. The day was not fully awaken yet, and enjoying the chill of the morning, a man set off to D’Orleans Gallery, at the Royal Palace, in the French capital.

        He had the reputation of a famous pedagogue in his country and was internationally well-known. His name was Professor Rivail.

        He walked into the Dentu Bookstore, went upstairs and arrived at the shop on the second floor.

        On that morning, his intention was not to verify any of his didactic books, from the various he had already published.

        What could be seen in Mrs. Dentu’s hands was something very special.

        It was a masterpiece which would shake the foundations of science, philosophy and religion established up until then.

        There were 501 questions that had to do with the origin, the nature, and the destiny of the Spirits.

        The book was placed on the window shop on red velvet. It was called The Book of the Spirits.

        In a didactic sequence, it presented the principles of the Spiritist Doctrine about the immortality of the soul, the nature of the Spirits and their relationship with mankind, the moral laws, the present life, the future life and the Humanity’s upcoming.

        Angular stone upon which stands the Spiritist Doctrine, it is a treaty to orient the economy, sociology, psychology, embryology, and ethics.

        Unique masterpiece, it challenges its second century of publication with no alterations in its content, in a period in which all knowledge has suffered contests and has altered the Earth’s cultural features.

        It reached, from the first moments, huge success in France and in the whole of Europe, with repercussion through the Americas.

        The Abbot Leçanu, at the time, referring to the monumental masterpiece, said: Observing the principles in The Book of the Spirits, by Allan Kardec, it is enough to become saint on Earth.

        The Book of the Spirits is the compilation of the teachings dictated by the superiors Spirits published under their command.

        The Codifier, Allan Kardec, had the task of organizing and putting the questions in an order from the most ordinary to the most complex subjects, enclosing various fields of the human knowledge.

        Divided in four parts, it encloses a doctrine body which is clear, methodic and understandable for all.

        With its publication, it becomes concrete on Earth, Jesus’oath, the Promised Comforter: the Third Revelation. Spiritism was born on that Saturday morning, April 18th, 1857.

        Without The Book of the Spirits, with its clarifying parameters, there is no Spiritist Doctrine.

        To all deserted from Earth, to all the ones who go ahead or fall, watering with tears the dust of the road, we will say: read The Book of the Spirits, it will make you stronger.

        To the happy ones, to the ones who only meet the applauses of the crowd and the smiles of the fortune, we will say: study it and it will make you become better.

* * *

        The second edition of The Book of Spirits, published on March 1860, was increased to 1019 questions.

        This second edition sold out in just four months.

        Before it was published, the masterpiece was completely revised by the Spirits themselves, with the mediumistic concourse of a young lady called Japhet.

        In the Middle East they already have The Book of the Spirits translated into Arabic.

        And in 2007 we celebrate 150 years of the first publication of The Book of the Spirits.

Spiritist Moment Team based on the 2nd. part of the book Obras póstumas, by Allan Kardec, publishing house Feb; O livro dos espíritos e sua tradição histórica e lendária, by Canuto Abreu, publishing house LFU; O primeiro livro dos Espíritos de Allan Kardec, by Canuto de Abreu, publishing house Ismael; chapter 3 of the book Reflexões espíritas, by the Spirit Vianna de Carvalho, psychographed by Divaldo Pereira Franco, publishing house Leal e chapter 6 from the book Momentos enriquecedores, by the Spirit Joanna de Ângelis, psychographed by Divaldo Pereira Franco, publishing house Leal.
February, 25 2008.