Homer's Odyssey has a timeless allure. It is an ancient story that is significant for every generation: the struggle of a homesick, battle-weary man longing to return to love and family. Odysseus's strivings to overcome divine and earthly obstacles and to control his own impulsive nature hold valuable lessons for people facing their own metaphorical battles and everyday conflicts—people who are, like Odysseus, "heartsick on the open sea," whether from dealing with daily skirmishes at the office or an international war. Sailing Home breathes fresh air into a classic we thought we knew, revealing its profound guidance for navigating life's spiritual challenges.

Norman Fischer deftly incorporates Buddhist, Judaic, Christian, and popular thought, as well as his own unique and sympathetic understanding of life, in his reinterpretation of Odysseus's familiar wanderings as lessons that everyone can use. With meditations that yield personal revelations, illuminating anecdotes from Fischer and his students' lives, and stories from many wisdom traditions, Sailing Home shows the way to greater purpose in readers' own lives. People will learn a new way to view their path, when to wait and when to act, when to speak their mind and when to exercise discretion, how to draw on their innate strength and distinguish between truth and deception, and how to deal with aging and changing relationships. Sailing Home provides the courage people need to renew bonds with loved ones and to make the latter portion of their lives a heartfelt time of spirit and love.

The first serial excerpt from Sailing Home will run in the June/July issue of Shambhala Sun.