Book reviews

A Review of “the way of the Quiet Warrior” by Tom Dutta

Posted on January 1, 2024, tagged as Heroic Journey

Tom Dutta has written a book which is a component of a method of achieving success in business, but more than that, a way of achieving success in life. He draws on concepts from psychology, motivation driven goal setting, and his own life experience. Storytelling is an important aspect of the teaching method of this book. For me the most interesting source material is the heroic journey idea of Joseph Campbell. Campbell was a scholar, philosopher, and educator who taught that all cultures have mythology that informs them of who they are, why they occupy a special place in the universe, and who are represented by a mythic hero. This hero has accomplished impossible things, having been guided by spiritual forces, that have provided the society with knowledge or materials (land, food, hunting or planting techniques, magical devices or rituals) which they need in order to survive and prosper. In my own work I have applied the concept of the heroic journey to addiction recovery, but again, applied more broadly, this approach can be seen as a way of overcoming any seemingly insurmountable difficulty in life. For those who are seeking a method of succeeding in business, I see how the full program of ‘the way of the Quiet Warrior’ can be exactly what many people have been looking for. Applied more generally, the book is a useful contribution to the heroic journey literature which can guide people to overcome whatever difficulties they may face in life. Dutta makes three points that I believe are critical to success in this regard: 1) that you can’t do it alone; 2) that the hero can’t be on this quest for himself alone—he needs to return to the kingdom with the treasure that will benefit the entire community; and 3) that the heroic journey is a life-long enterprise. The hero is transformed both psychologically and spiritually and must live the rest of his life sharing his gifts with others. As they say in the Alcoholics Anonymous program, “You can’t keep it unless you give it away.” I highly recommend “the way of the Quiet Warrior”  for anyone looking for an interesting and enjoyable way to spend a quiet afternoon. And it could potentially furnish what they have been looking for in order to change their lives.

Michael Cowl Gordon, author of “The Twelve Step Pathway: A Heroic Journey of Recovery.”