I loved this book. I am not sure how or who to recommend this to though. I have had this book in my wishlist for a few years. I wasn't ready to read it until now. It is a fantastical story with a profound meaning. It is for anyone who is weary of the search. As the Rodney White painting says, "We tend to Seek Happiness when happiness is ACTUALLY A CHOICE"

How, HOW can this be taken seriously? How can one be inspired about personal growth by a ghostly figure at a gas station that teleports itself here and there? I found it to be an insincere recycling of half-understood Buddhist beliefs. The writing is cringe-worthy. I listened to this on Audible narrated by the author which made it even worse. DNF

Jedna z těch knih, o kterých vám všichni kolem říkají: "Ty jsi ji ještě nečetla?". Tak jsem si ji konečně přečetla. Jedná se svým způsobem o klasiku a tak je potřeba s ní i nakládat - poutavý, jednoduchý příběh, který má čtenáři představit základy osobního a duchovního rozvoje tak, jak je vnímá autor. Nejsem si ale jistá, kde je cílovka. Resp. jestli někdo, kdo tyto věci vnitřně nikdy neřešil, nebude spíš odrazen, a naopak, pokud se osobnímu rozvoji alespoň trochu věnujete, základní myšlenky podané v Cestě pokojného bojovníka jsou pro vás až příliš základní.

I have no doubt that this book was life changing for some people, but for anyone who's already done any research into alternate spirituality, this read like "New age 101". For a complete newbie, this might be just what you need to open up new vistas of thought.

Be aware though, This book only constitutes the beginning of a journey, and in my opinion, a very flawed start, but if it's what gets you asking questions, then so be it.

Like most self help/new age spirituality novels, Way of the Peaceful Warrior tries to have it both ways, and ultimately fails. The lessons imparted by the book get in the way of the narrative, making the story structure very odd, with shallow characters, improbable plot elements and long boring sections of instructive passages.

It also fails as an instructional book, as the story telling makes the lessons seem disconnected from reality, and often useless. The teacher character in the book isn't a real person who we can direct our questions at, and the book leaves many. I feel like the book gives an overview of spiritual line of thought, but is really skimpy on the details. It tells you what to do, but there is very little about "how" to accomplish it.

It's very rare that a book is able to capably strike this balance; Sophie's World and Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit do the best job I've seen with this genre, but it's not easy trying to alternate religious teachings with an interesting story. Usually one of those elements suffers for it, but in this case, both of them felt lacking.

If you are trying to explore your spirituality, this book might just help you out to start with, but if you're left feeling like you missed something, then by all means there is more to explore, and expect a lot of your later reading to contradict what you've picked up here.

The wisdom preached in this book is intense and it is a read that is difficult to put down. Having said that; I have difficulty recommending the book. It is apparent that Millman is passionate and knowledgeable. He is not, however, a writer. I would have liked to see this work ghost-written. The fourth quarter of the book was painful in its story-telling and while I understand the potential device used to portray that the time away from his teacher was less focused, I feel those 8 years might have at least deserved more than the handful of pages given. I understand there is a sequel that details these years. I do not plan to read it. As much as I admired Socrates, and will keep what I learned from him; I have no interest whatsoever in Dan's character.

The careless treatment of the 4th quarter of the story both troubled and insulted my soul. I was outraged at the sheer idiocy of the protagonist as I watched him abandon in the first available moment all of the wisdom he had gathered in the previous 75% of the book. Never in my whole life have I wanted the hero to fail so completely, simply with the justification that he deserves it because he's a moron. Again, if it's a memoir - Dan, you have my sympathies that you had to endure heartbreak to find happiness, but you should have paid attention to the teachings and the vision your possible life in the beginning. If this part was fiction - congratulations, you made me disgusted by your character.

It can of course be argued that any work that creates this level of emotion (it's had me upset all weekend) deserves a higher rating. There are teachings here that I hope to carry with me forever (even though I had already learned them in my own experiences). My friend, the Taekwondo instructor, has read it several times and adores it. Going to prove that the value of a work truly depends on who you are, from what perspective you are reading, and what you hope to gain from it.

this is a book that changes lives. it changes your life as you read it in small seemingly insignificant ways. yet you begin to realize your impact you have on all those around you and more importantly the impact you have on yourself. how much you influence how you see the world and how much you live in the world. we need to stand back and look inside ourselves. look at what we like and especially what we don't like. face ourselves. our true selves. be honest. realize your own self potential. i love this book because it reminds me of my humanity and reminds me of my divinity.

I read this book in French so maybe it's a translation problem, but I just couldn't get past Millman's seemingly boastful tone. Even the title seems presumptuous. I realize the focus is supposed to be on Socrates' teachings - much of which is genuinely interesting - but I found myself being continually irritated by the author's way of talking about himself. Somehow it rubbed me the wrong way. And I might just be too cynical, but the frequent inspirational quotes were a little much.

I immediately hated this book and it took a lot of effort to not put it back on the shelf. Then I made it to Chapter 2 and my life changed forever. A wholly challenging read. I recommend taking everything with a grain of salt, while always giving it the time of day. Helped me through a rough patch. Thank you Perrity.

This is one of the worst written books I ever read. Some basic tenets of eastern philosophy are poorly communicated through writing which is self-indulgent, overly dramatic, predictable, cliche and amateurish. Did I mention I didn't like it?

How this awful book got a 3rd printing and a movie deal is beyond me. The only good thing is the title, which I hope is the reason for its success.

I always donate my books to a library or book store so someone else can read them. This is only the second book in my life that I have consigned to the recycle bin for destruction.

NOT recommended.

While this book may be 'too simple' for some literary types, I feel it is an excellent story that can speak to all people from all walks of life.

It takes an 'Average Joe' type and follows his unfolding toward true self-awareness. Millman's approach makes deep stuff an easy and enjoyable read. It's refreshing compared to some of the "serious elitist" spiritual books that are out there. I have read it 5 times and get so many new things from it each time I read it...it's definitely a timeless gift that does in fact "change lives"...kudos to Dan!

I have always loved books that talk about self-development/spirituality through a story. This is one of those books. I absolutely loved it. Did this book change my life? No (or I’m not 'awake' enough to realise that). But one thing that I can say for certain is that this book is thought provoking and will make you pause and ponder. It has a lot of profound insights scattered through out. I would love to have seen some practical exercises that emphasised the things that were said in the book. But overall this is an amazing book. Definitely give it a try!

Literally changed my life. That’s all.