With wit and self-deprecating humour, Halpern describes the teachers he encountered (the cast of characters runs from Barney Frank and Ralph Nader to Ram Dass and the Dalai Lama) and the landmarks and guideposts he discovered on his journey. The reader will see the ways that Halpern managed the competing pressures in his life - principle versus compromise, taking risks versus playing safe, demands of family versus the demands of career and so on. Similarly, the reader will see how Halpern confronted challenges to his integrity and judgment and remained centered despite forces pulling him away from balance and compassion. Halpern's experiences and insights will be revealing to everyone who is searching for meaning and balance in life while seeking to build a more just, reflective and sustainable world.

Halpern offers inspired guidance for 'making waves' (disrupting established patterns of injustice and discrimination) and for 'riding the currents' (being sensitive to all circumstances and carefully reading and taking advantage of all the surrounding forces). And he shows how the 'practice of wisdom' (doing work aligned with one's values while devoting time to meditation and other contemplative disciplines) can magnify people's well-being, contributions and effectiveness.