Travels with Odysseus: Uncommon Wisdom from Homer's Odyssey

by Dr Michael J Goldberg Dr

"Travels with Odysseus" retells the earthy and profound adventures of the Greek hero Odysseus as teaching stories which hold insight and guidance for the present-day journey.

146 pages, Paperback

First published September 15, 2006

Reviews

[Carol]

I was first exposed to the Odyssey when I taught 9th grade English and it was part of the text book. To me, it's a fascinating and timeless story on many levels. I often think of Madeline Miller's Circe and how our cultures impact our perceptions. This short book took an interesting look at The Odyssey as a journey through psychological states and circumstances we all encounter, with many references to Carl Jung. Dr. Goldberg never mentions the Enneagram, but I find it particularly fascinating how each place Odysseus visits correlates to a specific Enneagram number, and they go IN ORDER (starting with 9 -- the Lotus Eaters-- and ending with 1 -- the Phoenicians.) There is plenty of timeless "uncommon wisdom" to be found in the saga.

[Marshall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like an augmented cliffs notes that could double as a commencement speech.

[John Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

An allegory (based on the story of Odysseus) of every human beings travel through life, unraveling layer by layer of own prejudices until you meet with your own true self... In other words your "homecoming" - i.e. to be and to know your innermost self free of all pretense.

The book was overall a good reminder of the need to continually challenge oneself to be more aware of the landscape - inner and outer, how we fit and how we move though our life's journey.

We used this book during a global leadership development program with my work. So, I found it useful in that setting too.

[Edward Kidder · Rating 3 out of 5]

Self help/eneagram meets lit crit! Fun idea, but not over the top on the execution

[Annette · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fresh approach to the hero's journey as an enneagram explication, Goldberg does a very large job with a very slim volume. This is a must read for those interested in coming home to themselves.