William Walker Atkinson was a leading figure in the late 19th Centurys New Thought Movement which is the foundation of many of our current New Age beliefs. William Walker Atkinson was a successful lawyer, but the stress and strain of his unenlightened pursuit of wealth and prestige resulted in a complete physical and mental breakdown, and ultimate financial disaster. For Walker, this was merely the darkest hour before the dawn: after discovering and mastering the principles of New Thought, he rebuilt his health and his career on a stronger and more stable foundation than he had ever conceived of before. He also began to write extensively, under several psuedonyms, including Theron Q. Dumont, Yogi Ramacharaka, and he was most likely all three of the Initiates credited with the writing of The Kybalion. It is possible his successful career and conservative credibility as a lawyer inspired him to use all of these various psuedonyms. Many of his books are still very popular today.... true wisdom never goes out of style, and William Walker Atkinson was a true master.