Book excerpt: "A work that is still up-to-date, What is Spiritism? is useful for adherents of the Spiritist Doctrine as well as for those who want to understand the nature of Spiritism and its fundamental points. Kardec's logic and common sense are obvious in this book as he confounds Spiritism's detractors while answering the questions of those who believe in and aspire to a superior life. The book is divided into three chapters. The first is composed of dialogues between Kardec and a critic, a skeptic and a priest, providing answers to those who do not understand the basic principles of Spiritism. It also presents appropriate refutations to its opponents. The second chapter presents practical and experimental aspects of the science and is a kind of summary of The Mediums' Book. The third chapter is a short synthesis of The Spirits' Book, with solutions to psychological, moral and philosophical problems according to the Spiritist Doctrine. In addition, the book is prefaced with an abridged version of Henri Sausse's biography of Allan Kardec."--