Not a biography in the traditional sense, this book is a consideration of De Leeuw's thoughts and composition, first and foremost by the composer himself. A comprehensive world view is at the root of De Leeuw's musical conceptions made apparent by his travel diaries and his reflections on the social and cultural relationship between the East and West. The book's various authors view the composer's work against the background of their own widely divergent disciplines: contemporary music, non-Western music, music therapy, and intercultural developments.