The Journeys of Socrates: An Adventure

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0060833025 ISBN 13: 9780060833022

Publisher: HarperOne, 2006

The Way Begins . . .

Sergei was three when the soldiers took him. At fifteen he fled into the wilderness, with nothing to cling to but the memories of a grandfather who called him Socrates and the promise of a gift buried near St. Petersburg. Thus begins The Journeys of Socrates -- an odyssey that forged the character of Sergei Ivanov, whose story would one day change the lives of millions of readers worldwide. This saga of courage and faith, of love and loss, reveals the arts of war and the path to peace. Ultimately, it speaks to the quest we all share for a meaningful life in a challenging world.

From the Author:

Over the years, since publication of my best-known and bestselling book, Way of the Peaceful Warrior, numerous readers, curious about my old mentor, the man I called Socrates, asked me whether he was ever married or had children, and who were his teachers.  This question of lineage has always seemed important to me.  Teachers, guides, and wisdom-bearers and sharers rarely emerge fully-developed at birth (although many claim so).  We each stand on the shoulders of others, and often wisdom is hard-earned.

I decided to share the story of the life of my old mentor -- this was the first impulse that eventually, after four years of intensive literary labor, would become The Journeys of Socrates. And on a personal level, I liked the challenge -- I wanted to stretch and test myself, to see if I could write a quality story that would engross and even move readers to deep emotion. As Herman Melville wrote, "Two write a mighty book, you must choose a mighty theme."

Knowing a story and telling it are two different things. The theme that took shape in the writing summarizes, in a way, the course of the book:  "How a boy became a man; how a man became a warrior; and (most important), how a warrior found peace."  I didn't know it would become an archetypal story of conflict resolution -- a way to end the cycles of revenge and retribution (no matter how apparently justified) that plague our world today.  This is a story about love, family, trauma, courage, and the tempering of a man's wisdom and spirit -- the making of a peaceful warrior.

About the Author:

Dan Millman, a former world champion athlete, coach, martial arts instructor, and college professor,  is author of Way of the Peaceful Warrior (adapted to film in 2006), as well as The Four Purposes of Life, and numerous other books read by millions of people in 29 languages. Dan teaches worldwide and has influenced people from all walks of life, including leaders in the fields of health, psychology, education, business, politics, sports, entertainment and the arts. Dan and his wife, Joy, live in Northern California -- three grown daughters and two grandsons so far.  For more info:  peacefulwarrior.com