clipped from: Way of the Peaceful Warrior (1980)
Way of the Peaceful Warrior, Millman's first self-help book, is a piece of autobiographical fiction set mostly during his college years. Initially the book had only modest sales, before Hal Kramer reportedly came out of retirement to republish the book and help make it a best seller.
Summary: The story tells of a chance meeting with a gas station attendant who becomes a mentor to the young gymnast, Dan Millman, who names the attendant "Socrates". When Millman's right leg is shattered in a motorcycle accident, Socrates becomes Millman's spiritual teacher and shows Millman how to become a Peaceful Warrior.
Criticism: More than one reviewer has noticed the similarity of the book to Carlos Castaneda's series of Don Juan books, particularly the 1972 Journey to Ixtlan. Like Robert Pirsig's 1974 Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, Millman's use of a character from Plato in Socrates is also noteworthy. The basic concept of finding a wise mentor is a literary trope or theme of long standing, used by authors from Dante to Jonathan Swift, although Millman is more often compared to Lynn V. Andrews or naturalist Tom Brown, a compliment among fans of such genre fiction.
In the summer of 2006, Lions Gate Films released a film version, Peaceful Warrior, starring Scott Mechlowicz and Nick Nolte.
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