• Way of the Peaceful Warrior

  • A Book That Changes Lives
  • By: Dan Millman
  • Narrated by: Dan Millman
  • Length: 6 hrs and 1 min
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (3,734 ratings)

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Way of the Peaceful Warrior  By  cover art

Way of the Peaceful Warrior

By: Dan Millman
Narrated by: Dan Millman
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Publisher's summary

This audio edition of the international best seller Way of the Peaceful Warrior is based on the story of Dan Millman, a world-class gymnast who has it all, but is troubled by a vague sense of dissatisfaction with his everyday life. He meets an eccentric old mentor named Socrates, who sets him on a spiritual odyssey that will ultimately deliver or destroy him. Along the way Dan encounters realms of light and darkness, of romance and magic, as he learns what it means to live as a peaceful warrior.

Way of the Peaceful Warrior is a rare story with the power to transform lives. It conveys piercing truths with drama, heart, and humor and speaks directly to the universal quest for fulfillment and happiness, for finding our place in the world. It is a story for all times that can inspire joy, expand perspectives, and remind us of the deeper truth we already know, that real freedom lies within us right now.

©1984 Dan Millman (P)1997 New World Library

Critic reviews

"As narrator as well as author, [Millman] has ample skill and showmanship." ( AudioFile)

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What listeners say about Way of the Peaceful Warrior

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

My Favorite Audiobook

At this point, I have read, and re-read this book enough times to know most of it by heart - not just the main story line which is pretty simple, but the lessons contained within the story that are really what the book is all about.

I initially made the mistake of trying to figure out which parts of the story were claimed to have actually happened vs which parts were just there to illustrate a point. Eventually I came to the conclusion that it really doesn't matter how much or little was fact - The basic point of the book is to guide the reader to a philosophy that is aligned to the world around them instead of living one that is opposed to natural order. Without challenging religious beliefs, the book can lead you to look at how you live, how you interact with others, and to think carefully about all aspects of your life - from breathing to eating, to exercise, to how you look at the world every minute of the day

Read it, think about it, then read it again. I don't normally take the time to write reviews of the hundreds of audiobooks I have read, but I feel very strongly about this one

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69 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Way of Simple Happiness

Not many unabridged titles can be listen to, with such ease and pleasure. The 'Way of the Peaceful Warrior' is a story about finding pleasures in every aspect of our lives.
This title shows a great way how to distance yourself, from everyday chaos and madness. It shows step by step, how to rediscover happiness and simple pleasures.
In my personal case, I was able to better understand what I really, really, really want...

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31 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Very realistic and fun

Just finished listening to this audiobook. It was wonderful... so realistic despite having elements of fiction. It is incredibly fun and entertaining to read, even if read just as a novel. Reflecting on the book lessons, I realized that many of its revelations are valid even in the world we live in. Many of my questions about life got answered in this book, and it brought me closer to awakening. Enjoy!!!

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16 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

Bad

This is most probably one of the worst books I ever read/listened to. Full of pseudo-philosophical, pseudo-buddhism statements by someone who seemingly spent his university time stoned, and who forgot to live his life being married to his mentor. I personally find this book as a total waste of time and money, the only reason I did not stop after 1/2 hr, was to give benefit of doubt to the author. I did, and have no doubt.

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10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Happiness is a Full Tank

I first read this book 20 years ago, and fell in love with it. Much like Dan in the book however, I don't think it all stuck--as I've read it again multiple times in the past year, I'm now a little more ready for the messages of the book.

And what messages there are! The character of Socrates is just terrific; I have no doubt the author has nothing but pure love for this man (along with every other person, per his teachings of course).

While I am not a world-class gymnast like the author, I am a local-class distance runner (age group awards, Boston Marathon finishes) and found a great role model in the author. The message of "you've learned how to achieve, but not how to be happy" rings loud and true not only for me, but for most of modern Western society I wager. His candor about sexual urges, depression and failed relationships is important--"men don't talk about this stuff," but really should. (Ironically it was a female friend of mine who was a big fan of Warrior, and pointed me to this book.)

The fantasy elements of the book are largely enjoyable for the purposes of getting messages across. The ending gets a little too fantastical (meeting Soc in the middle of the woods; the random college girl in Ohio just-so-happens to be his future wife), but it's a story so you have to wrap the plot up somehow. I'm not reading for the plot.

Millman does a good job with narration. Not the best narrator--the publisher could have found someone better from a pure voice acting perspective--but I appreciate a book like this being read by the author. It makes the experience more personal. Millman is far from being annoying, distracting or any other qualities of a poor narrator.

I took scratch notes as I worked through this book. The list got long. Certainly I'll come back to Warrior again in the future. A must read for any student, young or old.

- Fear, sadness, anger. Move emotions up that chain, then convert to action and let go.
- Stop being proud of your mediocrity.
- The mind is mortal. Everything else is immortal.
- Where are you? Peel the onion. What's left at the end? The universe.
- Meditation: intent and surrender. Attention Attention Attention.
- Making mistakes at full attention is better Tha not making mistakes with a trembling spirit.
- The priest who thinks abut praying while lovemaking, and vice versa.
- Unconscious ritual is negative. Not the actions.
- Urges do not matter. Actions do.
- Death is not sad. The sadness is that most people do not live.
- Choose when, where and how to act without the expectations of others.
- Defeat the Giant. The Giant is your mind.
- Philosophers' rock: there are no unimportant moments.
- Stop being superior in ordinary standards. Be ordinary in superior standards.
- Use aikido, don't resist forces.
- Muscles like a cat.
- Expert vs master. Mental and emotional vs physical. Body, mind and emotions.
- Stay in the now. Pentagraph with zombies and women.
- You've spent your live learning how to achieve, not to be happy.
- Birth of the mind is the death of the senses. Re, infants.
- Happiness finds you, only after surrender. You don't find happiness.
- Happiness is the only power.
- Happiness now without reason.
- Plato's cave, we are all a part of the consciousness continuum.
- Relax into life. Do your best. What you know as you will be dead someday. Paradox, humor and change are the only rules.
- Enlightenment is a realization, not an attainment. (a la ZMM's Copernican revolutions).
- Goal is to be vulnerable to life and love, NOT invulnerable.

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Very Fun

This is a very fun book. I thouroughly enjoyed it and pretty much needed it. This is the book that I thought "motorcycle maintenance" was going to be and turned out to suck wind. Have a great time with this book. There's a gem here and there for you to carry forever. Great stuff.

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Good story BAD narrator

It's a good book overall. What keeps me from giving it 5 stars is the reader. The author read the book and as is often the case he would have been better served to have brought in an experienced narrator. He constantly over pronounces T's. The hard T's are grating and make this good book a tough listen. While it is worth the listen it is very distracting.

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

An Inspiration

I truly love this book. I have already listened more than once. I give it 4 stars because of the narative is not great. I know it is Dan Millman himself so I'm not going to be harsh and I do appreciate when a writer reads thier own story.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars
  • VM
  • 05-10-19

What Is the Fuss?

Have you ever seen a professional version of a play and then seen a high school production? There is a big difference. The author chooses to narrate his book for the audio version. It is painful to listen to this. After listening on Audible to 20+ professionally read books, the amateur attempt sounds, well, amateur. The story is one big tease; one waits and waits for profound insights into happiness, but once we hear what the author has to offer, it is unfulfilling. It is like going to a sales pitch where the presenter goes on for 50 minutes telling you how much you will love the product and what a great product it is and then showing you said product for 5 minutes and having it be a complete let down. The six hours listening to the book felt more like six months.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

couldn't get past first chapter

I couldn't even get past the first chapter. It was that painful. The storyline just seemed really poorly put together. I really tried to like it because I saw potential in it obviously that's why I purchased it.

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5 people found this helpful