The Way of The Quest

by George Blair-West

In the style of Paulo Coelho's "The Alchemist", the premise of this award-winning inspirational novel is that we cannot be truly happy if we are not clear on what is meaningful for each of us and we are not pursuing a purpose that reflects this meaning. Coming from the experience of a practicing psychiatrist, this illustrative novel takes the reader on a journey to answer the three questions that most of us struggle Who am I? What am I here to do? What is holding me back from pursuing what I am here to do? It follows the life of a sixteen-year-old boy in search of both adventure and himself. Coming from wealth and privilege, instead of staying in Paris as instructed by Queen Elizabeth, he takes off to the magical Mont St Michel to train under the greatest knight of all time. Francis Bacon, a real life figure, is no ordinary young man. Later in life he will be acclaimed as one of the geniuses of his age as he will go on to forever change the worlds of law, science and literature. When you meet him, however, he is a confused youth trying to find his way. On his fascinating journey he meets the great teachers on The Mont who set him on his path ... and the woman he falls for who inspires him to follow it. There are stories within stories, legends within legends and layers upon layer ... While winning three awards in both 'Inspirational fiction' and 'Visionary Fiction' categories, The Way of The Quest might be best called a ‘motivational, self-help novel’. Inspired in equal parts by the tales of King Arthur and Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist, it was written by Dr George Blair-West as an engaging drama set as the era of the chivalrous knight is drawing to a close. As a practicing psychotherapist, Dr Blair-West wrote the book to go a step further than The Alchemist and to look at the practical ‘how to’ of finding and following one’s purpose while managing the fear that holds us back. "This magnificent and magical tale, while taking me to far off lands, helped me back into my own heart and soul. This is a captivating and delicious reminder that we, like the Knights of old, have the right to defend the truth of our own being with courage, honour, love and wisdom. This story will light your journey with some long forgotten truths about who we are, what we are capable of, the importance of finding our meaning and the immense and adventurous journey that life is supposed to be.” — Krista Fuller, Writer & Editor “Dr George hooks the reader with the perfect blend of absorbing history and witty asides as he weaves an epic tale. While it is rare for me to reread, I have read this thoroughly enjoyable book twice and then dipped into it again. It is powerfully uplifting to be reminded, as we deal with life’s challenges, how to look for the signposts to guide us back to what gives our life meaning and purpose. The backstory on Francis Bacon and Shakespeare was equally fascinating.” – Jennifer Saggers, Education Advisor “A wondrous adventure to places, within yourself and beyond! This multi-dimensional tale takes you into a fascinating history touched by fantasy and great legends. The challenges of finding one’s meaning is intricately woven with ancient wisdom and intrigue – sparking our inner worlds with a revelatory light. With story-telling magic Dr George has crafted a book that entertains at the same time as it provokes and astonishes.” – Kathryn Brimblecombe-Fox, Artist &Author of ‘For Everyone’

327 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 9, 2012

About the author

An award-winning author, Dr George Blair-West is a medical doctor specialising in psychiatry who, for over 25 years, has worked in couple therapy and treating severe trauma. His early academic work into suicide and depression resulted in his honorary admission to The New York Academy of Sciences.

George is a sought-after speaker and educator, delivering talks and workshops on his work as an existential psychotherapist i.e. on building happiness and life satisfaction through finding meaning and purpose in life (“The Way of the Quest”) and building nurturing relationships ("How To Make the Biggest Decision of Your Life").

He is the author of five books, most recently "The Girl in the Green Dress" which he wrote with Jeni Haynes (who has multiple personality disorder) explaining how the mind copes with overwhelming trauma. His talk on TED.com (4 million + views) on preventing divorce is to be followed in 2023 with a 2nd TEDx talk on how the promises of romantic love increase divorce rates.

The father of two adult children, he lives in Brisbane with his wife, Penny, a clinical psychologist.

Reviews

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was very promising and ticked many boxes for me including setting, history, intrigue and spiritualism but unfortunately it was missing real magic. It is worth reading if you enjoy life lessons, self discovery and questioning organised religion.