The book also established a format frequently used in later Krishnamurti publications, in which he presents his ideas on various interrelated issues, followed by discussions with one or more participants.

Following his dismantling of the World Teacher Project in 1929–30, Jiddu Krishnamurti embarked on a new international speaking career as an independent, unconventional philosopher.

[7][8] The thinker comes into being through thought;As is the case with most Krishnamurti texts, the book consists of edited excerpts from his public talks and discussions; it includes examinations of subjects that were, or became, recurrent themes in his exposition: [10] the nature of the self – and of belief, investigations into fear and desire, the relationship between thinker and thought, the concept of choiceless awareness, the function of the mind, etc.

[11] Huxley provided a ten-page foreword as comprehensive introduction to Krishnamurti's philosophy, an essay that "no doubt contributed to [the book's] credibility and sales potential"[12] and he may have also influenced the overall structure and style of the work.

"[16] Another stated that it was instrumental in making Krishnamurti and his ideas known to a wider audience, as the "first substantial statement of his philosophy to be issued by major publishing houses in Britain and the United States"; [17] noting the work's popularity among the college-age young, others added that the book "anticipated the preoccupations of an up-and-coming youth culture, and ... perhaps helped to form it".

[18] As in practically every work of his[19] Krishnamurti did not present this book as containing "a doctrine to be believed, but as an invitation to others to investigate and validate its truth for themselves"[20] Our problem is how to be free from all conditioning.

"[35] Kirkus Reviews described it as a "clear and intriguing presentation of a point of view which will appeal to many who are finding the more traditional approaches to truth to be blind alleys.

"[38] The Times Literary Supplement stated that for those who regard conflict "as an unchangeable condition of human life and truth, Krishnamurti's teaching will seem to offer a delusive short-cut to a vaguely beatific freedom.

[42] The work was mentioned in education-related dissertations as early as August 1954; [43] it continued to be cited by educational researchers in the following decades.

[44] It has also interested researchers in psycholinguistics, drawing favorable remarks about Krishnamurti's views regarding the "separation ... between the thinker and the thought"; [45] and has featured in discussion of the relationship between general semantics and other viewpoints.

[46] Among other fields, the book has been cited by occupational therapy papers,[47] articles on medical ethics,[48] and in original research of contemporary spirituality.

[56] The book has also prompted comparisons between Krishnamurti's philosophy and Emily Dickinson's poetry,[57] and has informed the way art therapy professionals approach their work.