Way of the Peaceful Warrior by Dan Millman is a first-person narrative of the author’s search for happiness. A student at the University of California at Berkley, Dan’s life revolved around school and gymnastics. Stressed with his life Dan left his apartment and took a stroll around town. What he did not know is that this walk would change his life forever. His experiences and outlook on life changed once he entered the doors of the infamous gas station. Dan walked in the gas station and saw an old man sitting in a chair. When he walked out of the gas station, the same man was on the roof. Wanting to know how the man got on the roof, Dan returned nightly to obtain his answer. Over numerous years, Dan learned lessons that aided in his quest to become a Warrior.

Dan Millman is a University of California at Berkley graduate, a world trampoline champion, and member of the Gymnastics Hall of Fame. He was the director of gymnastics at Stanford University, and later became a professor at Oberlin College. He has written 13 self-help books and gives talks and seminars all over the United States and abroad. He currently lives in Northern California with his family.

This book is incredibly powerful and leaves the reader with a new perspective on life. The vividness of word choice creates a surreal vision. An explanation of The Warrior is offered by Socrates, Dan’s guide on his new quest. Socrates, 94, incorporates Eastern philosophy and Western fitness to embark on a spiritual odyssey to discover the meaning of life and becoming a warrior. Socrates uses humor, kindness, and love in his teachings to convey that happiness, creativity, and fulfillment can be achieved by developing one’s human potential. By the end of the book, it is difficult to have dry eyes. The reader really connects with Dan and has a desire for him to be successful in his journey.

This book was very hard to locate and is found in the New Age section of bookstores, an unusual area to search for a personal growth/fiction book. It is a story based on true aspects of Millman’s life.

This book is recommended for teenagers and older. It is important to have a good grasp of vocabulary and some life experience to understand the concept of this book. Other books by Dan Millman are: The Life You Were Born to Live: A Guide to Finding Your Life Purpose, and Wisdom of the Peaceful Warrior: A Companion to the Book that Changes Lives. The reader must be open to new ideas, and new ways of looking at oneself and the world to appreciate this story.

Way of the Peaceful Warrior has been made into a movie starring Nick Nolte, Scott Mechlowicz and Amy Smart. The movie version recently came out on DVD.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/cdp/member-reviews/A76ENWTOYT849/ref=cm_cr_auth/002-4689296-3439253?ie=UTF8&sort%5Fby=MostRecentReview (Link to publication)