The Journeys of Socrates, a review.

The Journeys of Socrates, by Dan Millman is a good summer read. It is an adventure story about how a young boy, Sergei Ivanov in Russia becomes the mentor dubbed Socrates by Dan in Way of the Peacefull Warrior. There are many parallels and themes shared by 'Peaceful Warrior. It's a coming of age story as the boy Sergei lives and trains at a military school, learns survival and basic combat techniques as well as truth about his family background. It's also a revenge story as one of Sergei's classmates, a bully and a sociopath becomes his mortal enemy who eventually kills Sergei's pregnant wife. Sergei sets out on a quest to become a skilled fighter trained by elite warriors, monks, and to hunt down Zakolyev and avenge his wife's death. Sergei trains with Sarafim- the Yoda-like master of martial arts and spiritual discipline who teaches Socrates what it means to be a warrior, and more importantly what it means to be a Peaceful Warrior. He convinces Socrates that revenge will not bring his wife back. "He who slays the dragon becomes the dragon." My favorite quote from the book is "You cannot kill darkness with more darkness. Only light can banish the shadows from this world.(235) "