序言是一段对话，发生在1982年印度的Benares市，作者的第一次印度占星：
Astrologer: You are going to write some books.
Astrologer: You are going to write some books.
Astrologer: Yes.
Astrologer: A few, five or six.
Astrologer: Yes.
Astrologer: My dear friend, astrology is not an absolute science.
Astrologer: But you will write books.
在全书最后，作者引用了《圣经旧约传道书》的一段来作结尾，鉴于我的读书摘要不知道哪天才写得完，不如在开头就把这结尾照抄上来：
To everything there is a season,
A time to be born, and a time to die;
has been planted;
A time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to mourn, and a time to dance;
stones together;
embracing;
A time to keep, and a time to cast away;
A time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
time of peace.