Dan Millman (born February 22, 1946, in Los Angeles, California) is an American author, speaker, and teacher in the personal development field, best known for his landmark memoir Way of the Peaceful Warrior. A former world champion gymnast, Millman won the 1964 Trampoline World Championships in London as a UC Berkeley freshman, earned four gold medals at the 1965 Maccabiah Games, and served as co-captain of Berkeley's 1968 NCAA Championship gymnastics team — all while pursuing parallel studies in martial arts, aikido, and movement disciplines. A near-fatal motorcycle accident in 1966 fractured his femur and deepened his inquiry into the nature of the mind and human potential, themes that would define his life's work.
After coaching gymnastics at Stanford University (where he trained Olympian Steve Hug) and teaching at Oberlin College, Millman channeled his athletic and philosophical journey into Way of the Peaceful Warrior (1980), a fictionalized autobiography that became a modern classic of transformational literature. The book introduced readers to a path of practical wisdom, body-mind mastery, and the integration of physical discipline with everyday living. It was adapted into the 2006 feature film Peaceful Warrior starring Nick Nolte and has inspired millions of readers worldwide. Millman has since written more than 17 books — translated into 29 languages — including Sacred Journey of the Peaceful Warrior, No Ordinary Moments, The Laws of Spirit, and The Hidden School.
In the Nightingale-Conant catalog, Dan Millman brings his signature approach to practical transformation: grounded in the body, expressed through daily action, and aimed at the full realization of human potential. His programs bridge the gap between peak athletic performance and the inner life, offering listeners tools drawn from decades of coaching, teaching, and personal practice. Whether exploring the warrior's path or the laws governing a meaningful life, Millman's work remains anchored in the conviction that ordinary moments, lived fully and consciously, are the training ground for an extraordinary existence.
