What does Martin Buber mean, in "I and Thou", by the claim that the one thing that matters is full acceptance of presence? In a journey of exploration through Buber's early writings, especially his first major philosophical work, "Daniel: Dialogues in Realization", Huston seeks to clarify Buber's predialogical concept of God. Buber's desire for presence, she finds, began with an overwhelming experience of absence, a search for a presence that will not let him down, that will not be a "mis-encounter." This book is an invaluable guide to Buber's early writings. It will help readers to understand the rich depth and many layers of thought in Buber's masterpiece, "I and Thou", and to appreciate the radical change that took place in Buber's concept of God prior to its publication in 1923.