Award-Winning Inspirational Novel argues that true happiness can only be found through the quest of finding why we are here
The ‘self-help novel’ The Way of The Quest captures the author’s twenty-five years of experience as a psychiatrist and sums it all up in one central premise: “True happiness can only be found by working out what is meaningful for each of us and then pursuing the purpose this informs.” Recently picking up American awards in the ‘Inspirational Fiction’ and ‘Visionary Fiction’ categories, Dr. George Blair-West’s latest book is the unlikely sequel to the groundbreaking Australian bestseller Weight Loss for Food Lovers: Understanding Our Minds and Why We Sabotage Our Weight Loss.
“Working with the obese brought me back to this simple truth about life,” Dr. Blair-West explained. “I repeatedly found that for so many people, food had become the most meaningful part of their day.” He also found that overeating was about something much more profound than ‘comfort eating’. He noted, “Many people are trying, inevitably unsuccessfully, to fill a deep, existential emptiness with food. They are eating down their emotions of feeling lost and unhappy.”
He often referred people to Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist, but they would complain that while they got the point, the book did not give them the ‘how to’ of pursuing their purpose. “The focus of therapy then became working out what purpose in life this understanding could guide the individual to,” Dr. Blair-West said. Inspired by The Alchemist, he decided to embed this therapeutic journey into a novel format.
The other driving force behind the book was being a parent of school-leaving, teenage children who had to make the daunting decision about which life path to follow. “Given that prevention is better than cure, I wanted the book to also speak to younger adults about how to begin a quest that would lead to true happiness from the outset,” Dr. Blair-West explained.
Set in the closing of the era of the Knights Templar, The Way of The Quest is a story about a 16-year-old boy who runs away from his anger and confusion to escape the life that his parents had lined up for him. The reluctant hero of the adventure is the real-life character Francis Bacon, a polymath genius (like Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo) who attended Cambridge University from the age of 12 and is considered to be a front-runner in the mystery of who wrote Shakespeare’s works. “I needed a particularly inquisitive and perceptive protagonist who would ask the questions necessary of the masters that he meets on his quest to find his purpose in life. The answers he finds are relevant to anyone of any age who wants to be truly happy,” Dr. Blair-West explained.
“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’.
The Way of the Quest was a 2012 finalist in the Visionary Fiction category of the International Book Awards and received the 2012 Silver medal from the Living Now book awards in the Inspirational Fiction category.
About The Author
Dr. George Blair-West is a researcher, bestselling author, medical doctor, psychiatrist, and psychotherapist who specialises in the treatment of trauma, obesity, and relationship therapy. His core interest is in taking the latest research – both his own and that of others – and then deconstructing it into the key elements of motivating change – and then delivering this in an engaging format.
After becoming overweight, he became interested in the psychology of weight loss which led to his first book, Weight Loss for Food Lovers: Understanding Our Minds and Why We Sabotage Our Weight Loss. It became an Australian bestseller and has been translated into Dutch and Chinese. He and his wife then authored a children’s book (and a song) that teaches children mindful and healthy eating habits. Semi-retired, he now works in private practice in Brisbane, Australia.
