Product Description

An inspirational tale that tells the incredible life story of Sergei Ivanov, affectionately known as Socrates, a sage whose wisdom was destined to change the lives of author Dan Millman and the countless readers of his first book, Way of the Peaceful Warrior. CONTENTS: In the heart of Tsarist Russia in 1872, an orphaned boy of Jewish and Cossack descent seeks to find his place in the world. The Journeys of Socrates is an odyssey of courage and love, revealing how a boy became a man, a man became a warrior, and how a warrior found peace. Dan Millman first described the wise enigmatic man he called Socrates in Way of the Peaceful Warrior. Now, in telling the life story of that old service station mechanic, Dan reveals universal truths about all our lives and reminds us of a courage and love as strong and ancient as the roots of the world. From tales of life at a Russian military school to the flight of a fugitive, survival in the wilderness to marriage and the search for family, The Journeys of Socrates is full of tragedy, triumph and hard-earned wisdom from the soul of a peaceful warrior.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #285320 in Books
• Published on: 2005-03-07
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 464 pages

From the Author
I devoted four years of my life to writing The Journeys of Socrates. Each of my books has a different purpose. For Journeys, my intentions included: relating the life of my old mentor; addressing a number of themes, especially how a warrior found peace -- how to break the cycles of revenge and retribution even when they seem justified. My other books, including Way of the Peaceful Warrior, convey didactic material and reminders for living. In this new book, I did not want to clone my first book, but rather to write a strong and original story. It includes many reminders about life, but they are found in the subtext (and more directly in conversations later in the story). As Sergei's mentor reminds him: In combat and in life, expect nothing, but be prepared for anything. I would advice readers of Journeys to do the same.

About the Author
Dan Millman is a former world champion athlete, martial arts instructor, Stanford gymnastics coach and Oberlin College professor. He is the author of 11 bestsellers that have sold millions in 29 languages. He leads seminars and workshops and speaks to thousands of people each year around the world.

Customer Reviews

Brilliant Read
As someone who found WPW an amazingly enlightenting book it was nice to get the 'back ground info' on, what i myself consider to be, the main character in the book. Learning about Socrates' boyhood and how he become the original (well, actually not the real original!) peaceful warrior. I thought well written, although some people say simply written. Great storey - action, romance and educational if you think it through.
Was surprised to read some negative reviews on this site but everyone is different i suppose. Highly recommended if you are a fan of WPW, but expect more of a 'storey' book then WPW.
Peace and love, Danny J

Super
This is a book that I loved until the very end. The end and notes will cause all joy of the story to be lost. This book was long awaited by fans around the world. The first book in this trilogy came out 25 years ago; The Way of the Peaceful Warrior has been an international bestseller since it came out. It was released this month as a movie starring Nick Nolte and Scott Mechlowicz. Both that first book and the sequel Sacred Journey of the Peaceful Warrior are part biographical and part allegory. Millman has, since the beginning, answered questions about what parts of those two books are truth and what parts are story.

Now, here in the third book in the series, he blows that whole tradition out of the water. The story is supposed to be the life story of Socrates, Dan's mentor in the first two books.

This is an amazing story of a young man born of mixed blood in Russia. He is part Cossack and part Jewish. He is being raised at a Cossack military school after the death of both of his parents. He later learns about his Jewish blood. During the pogroms against the Jews he leaves the school to go in search of treasure his grandfather has left him.

He suffers loss., the loss of a pregnant wife to an old enemy. He vow's revenge on their grave. He studies under many martial arts masters in order to learn how to seek that revenge. He studies first with a sword master, and then with a master of all of the art's who tries to teach him to choose life, and be a master of self. For the loss of his wife who was with child. He journeys all over Asia, while studying with these teachers, then in pursuit of revenge that he has studied for years to be ready to exact. Then he eventually to the new world, in search of a long hoped for new life.

The story is great. But in this edition, Millman, in the afterward, states that he will not answer any questions about what parts of this story are true and what parts are not. The story leads us to believe that Socrates is Millman's real-life grandfather estranged from his family at birth. Millman indicates that `Socrates' started journaling the day that he was born and that sometime between Way of the Peaceful Warrior and now he received those journals from Soctares.

What is the story? What is the truth? How can he leave us, his readers, hanging like that? Because of this duplicity a reader can call into question all the good that has been taken from Millman's writings over the years.


(First Published in Imprint 2006-06-16 as 'Hate It' Love It hate It Book Review Column.)

Addendum 2008 having reread this book and skipping the Harper Collins PS. The story really is amazing and fits in with the original books better than my originally published review.

Nonresistance to life
I found this book very liberating specially when socrates was training under his master the lessons were things i already new but reading them in a refreshed way ,also his teacher reminded me of O'sensei the enlightened founder of aikido . I think when you read enough of these books like conversations with god , power of now , way of the peaceful warrior and all the ancient and modern scriptures by all the sages and saints you realise there is only one universal teaching and it was staring you in the face all along only when our perception changes do we see them .