Carlos Castaneda's first two books serve as an insightful initiation into don Juan's world. Unfortunately to us as readers, Carlos believed that the use of chemical mind alterants were necessary to break the barrier into don Juan's world. As a result, drug use served as the central theme of his first two books.

Carlos eventually realized his error concerning why don Juan employed the Indian psychotropics, and explains his mistake in the Introduction of his third book.

Carlos' first book, "The Teachings of don Juan, spans the period of about the first five years of his relationship with don Juan Matus. Carlos quits his apprenticeship at the end of this first book, and for the following three years, although he still saw don Juan Juan regularly, Carlos considered himself as having ended his lessons.

This, Carlos' second book, "A Separate Reality", spans about two and a half years beginning from the time when Carlos consciously decided he was again a student of don Juan.

In Carlos Castaneda's third book, "Journey To Ixtlan", Carlos retells the story of his apprenticeship from the beginning. At the time of writing it, Carlos was older and wiser- and realized that he was in grave error about the significance of the role of psychotropic plants. Therefore, "Journey To Ixtlan" is a deeper and more enlightened retelling of his relationship with don Juan Matus.