Revised Book Review: Way of the Peaceful Warrior

Dan Millman's imaginative novel Way of the Peaceful Warrior, first published in 1980, tells the story of a talented college-level gymnast, Dan, who stumbles upon a 96-year-old man working in an all-night gas station. The old man has appeared in Dan's dreams for weeks prior to this occurence. After confronting this old man, Dan decides to call him Socrates--(no, not that Socrates, but a man just as philosophical.) This was Dan's destiny, as Socrates becomes Dan's mentor in every aspect of his life, especially spiritually, pushing him to extremes with the intention of Dan ultimately reaching a state of eternal happiness and love, just as Socrates has done for himself. Through important teachings, ("there are no ordinary moments!") and criticisms, ("Dan, you are suffering...gymnastics is a temporary way to distract you from your underlying sense of fear",) Socrates is the all-knowing force that consumes every minute of Dan's waking--and sleeping--life. Told with a great sense of knowledge and awareness, Way of the Peaceful Warrior is a timeless story about one man's quest for happiness.

I found myself reading many passages twice or more in Way of the Peaceful Warrior. One quote, spoken from Socrates to Dan, strikes me as particularly relevant to this day: "Life is not suffering; it's just that you will suffer it, rather than enjoy it, until you let go of your mind's attachments and just go for the ride freely, no matter what happens." Indeed, Millman (or Socrates,) believes in ridding one's self of personal cravings which will, in turn, bring you one step closer to achieving an eternal state of bliss. The way that Millman was able to so eloquently phrase these "new-age" concepts is what separates itself from similar novels. Not only is Way of the Peaceful Warrior a remarkable and captivating story, it has proven itself as THE self-aware manifestation of what one person is capable of achieving in life, taking the subtitle "A Book That Changes Lives."

Like all media out there, Peaceful Warrior won't be for everyone. Some people will find it preachy while some will have trouble getting through the first twenty pages, accusing Millman of being on a cocktail of drugs at the time of writing. There are many parts of the book that come off as trite--for instance, Socrates has a habit of always responding to Dan's questions or thoughts with a long-winded, life-changing, groundbreaking quote. But what I find most appealing about Way of the Peaceful Warrior is how it encourages the reader to analyze herself and understand the urgency of, well, understanding one's self. Millman does this through storytelling without being moralistic or over-the-top and with little religious overtone, something that other similar "search-for-happiness" novels manifest. This is not a "how-to" book by any means, but the lessons taught and, particularly some passages, left me feeling a renewed sense of possibility and passion for life.

I strongly recommend this novel to anyone searching for meaning or balance in their lives; Way of the Peaceful Warrior is the perfect companion to lead the way for a person looking to self-explore, become much more self-reliant, and reach a higher level of awareness.