Peaceful Heart, Warrior Spirit: The True Story of My Spiritual Quest Paperback – January 4, 2022

The original Peaceful Warrior literally changed my life. It taught me a new way to live. Though I've always wondered how much was a story and how much was the real life of Dan Millman. This book goes beyond the storytelling and is a memoir of Dan's life. From his childhood to his meeting with the man at the gas station and his journey through multiple teachers. It's a really interesting read for those who wanted the true story without all the embellishments. Dan Millman is a great teacher and it was nice to read his true story.

Outstanding book, Dan Millman! Thank you for opening up your life and letting us in. For those of you who are long-time fans of Dan’s books and teachings, this is a must read. For those of you who are new to Dan’s books and teachings, this is a must read as well (as are his other books).In this book, Dan opens up his life, and periodically, his wife Joy chimes in with her take on what was happening in the moment that Dan has just finished explaining. What a helpful voice is Joy in loving and assisting Dan in life’s journeys and gifting us with her viewpoints as well.As with all of Dan’s books, he helps me be a better me, inspired by what he writes and teaches, but also, encouraging the reader to take his teachings and put them into practice to enhance the reader’s life. Bravo, Dan, this book does the teaching well, once again.The biggest difference I see in this book from the other books is that this book feels like the Dan and Joy have come over for dinner as friends and teachers. As we sit down at the dinner table, they are asked, please tell us about your lives…and they do…genuinely, authentically, lovingly, and gratefully. At the end of dinner, not only has the food been enriching, but also the conversation. You do not know if you have been sitting there with them for hours, days, months, or years. You hang on their every word and feel joyful and grateful for the experience.This book comes with my highest recommendation. Thank you Dan, for writing this book and for all of the ways over the years that you have helped me be a better me.

Having seen the Peaceful Warrior several times and having read many of Dan’s books, I found Peaceful Heart, Warrior Spirit a great tie it altogether read. Dans life and his different phases of learning from different teachers all so interesting. Highly recommended.

I've read the series of Peaceful Warrior books and met Dan at one of the book signings. This latest book answered a number of things that I wondered about concerning how much of the books were fictional and how much were autobiographical. I also was curious about his process in the development of characters. I enjoyed getting a look behind the scenes of his real life journey. Thanks for years of inspiration.

Somewhere in the mid-1980s, I returned from the Middle East with a liver parasite, a broken heart, and a fair amount of despair. I flew to California a bit later for a friend's wedding. Burning some time before the wedding, I found a bookstore and discovered an odd looking book that promised to "change lives." It was the Way of the Peaceful Warrior (and since I have bought and given away so many copies, I might have that version's name wrong. I apologize.) I devoured this book, took copious notes, and shared the stories and insights with my students for years. Through the years, I have purchased each of Dan's books and noted a bit of a downward trend. The Journey of Socrates frustrated me, but at least we all finally knew his story. The books on the Hawaiian adventures and the "hidden" journal left me wondering.When school resumed, I asked Mick Kimball if he remember a teammate at Cal named "Dan Millman." He noted that Dan warmed up with martial arts and spoke highly of him. Sadly, Mick wouldn't live much longer.When I saw this book, Peaceful Heart, I was intrigued. Frankly, by the time I got to the chapter on the Warrior Priest, I was ready to toss out this book. While waiting for the delivery, I reread the Graphic Novel. This novel gives us some insights; the one that leaps out is that Joy and Joseph were sister and brother! Joseph, of course, dies in the first book but returns in another.Joseph's death and return should have been a clue.Here's the issue with the new book: Millman teaches us that there is (Spoiler Alert!!!) no Socrates. In fact, Socrates IS Dan Millman. I'm sneaking up on four decades as a reader and, in interviews both in audios and in the books themselves, Millman has been clear that there is a Socrates.Joy's story in this new book departs from all the original works but, yes, we do meet a older man who works at a garage. He has nice eyes and I am sure he has a nice personality, too.In this new book, we trudge through a series of retreaded stories from the books without the magic of the originals. We meet other mentors that all seem to make Bikram (of Birkam Yoga) the norm for this industry.In case you miss my point: that is NOT good.What bothers me probably the most is that, in this book, Millman takes a shot at Carlos Castaneda (the author of the Yaqui ways of knowledge featuring Don Juan) for using his imagination in explaining the magic and wonder of Castaneda's books. I'm not sure I see the difference: no Don Juan or no Socrates makes both books still fun reads but neither has a ironclad hold on historical accuracy.The original book will still be part of what I recommend for people "on the path." My students were heavily impacted by the first book and I applaud and praise Dan for helping me make a better instructor. As a palate cleanse, I am rereading The Tao of Pooh. I think my good friend, the Pooh Bear, has been honest about his existence from the beginning.