Book Report: The Peaceful Thief

My dear friend, Ditas, sent me 'The Way of the Peaceful Warrior' by Dan Millman thinking that I would get something out of it. It prominently features her alma mater, Cal-Berkeley, and is a philisophical/self-help search for the meaning of life. While Millman is a poor writer (I don't say that often, since I can usually find something to appreciate) but he has a good message. While he uses a contrived platform for delivering his sermon on vegetarianism and Buddhism, in the end (the VERY end) he discovers that happiness comes from within and its possible all the time (in other words, the search for happiness is a waste of time and energy). I do believe in the message, I just wish it had come from someone else.


Another book that showed up at my house via Will was 'The Orchid Thief' by Susan Orlean. I never saw the movie "Adaptation" which was based on this book, but I'll certainly rent it when I get back. Its almost like the movie "Best in Show" of the flower world (yes, there is a 'best in show' award for flower shows), but this story's entirely true! If you've ever been to southern Florida and driven around the Everglades, you can appreciate the setting and the kinds of folks who live there. But, if you've ever known someone (or yourself) who is obsessed with something seemingly meaningless (like collecting exotic flowers) then you'll enjoy this book. Some people really are nuts, but if they're happy, maybe we shouldn't judge so quickly.