Living on Purpose: Straight Answers to Universal Questions

The Sufi poet Rumi once claimed that it is better to live the questions than always know the answers. In this spirit, bestselling author Dan Millman offers a book of contemplative answers to the common spiritual questions that we all live with. Millman has created a very readable format where he poses a question, offers a brief response (which he calls a "House Rule"), and then elaborates with lengthier thoughts and anecdotes. For example, when he asks, "Where can I find the right teacher for me?" he answers with this House Rule: "Our teachers appear in many forms." He then goes on to discuss how teachers can appear in the form of nature, strangers, children, or unexpected circumstances. Other questions include, "Why does my life seem to be getting worse?" (HR: "If we don't learn easy lessons, they get harder.") "What's the best way to make a big difference in the world?" (HR: "Little things can make a big difference.")

Although Millman became famous as a storyteller in the parable Way of the Peaceful Warrior, his spiritual roots come from the discipline of martial arts. As a result, he sounds much more natural when conveying codes of honor than writing realistic dialog. To his credit, Millman has mastered a difficult and highly needed art form: writing an accessible guidebook on living purposefully that could soften the most jaded of hearts and sharpen the most undisciplined of spirits. --Gail Hudson