Daniel Jay Millman (born February 22, 1946) is an American author and lecturer in the personal development field. He is best known for the movie Peaceful Warrior, based on his own life and taken from one of his books.

Early life and education

Millman was born in Los Angeles to Herman and Vivian Millman; he has an older sister Diane. Much of his early life included active pursuits like modern dance and martial arts and later trampoline, tumbling, and gymnastics. He attended John Marshall High School in Los Angeles, where he was recognized along with another student as a Co-Senior Athlete of the Year. During his senior year in high school, he won the United States Gymnastics Federation (USGF) national title on the trampoline. While a freshman at University of California, Berkeley he won the 1964 Trampoline World Championships in London earning All-American honors and won an NCAA Championship in vaulting. In 1966 he won the USGF championship in floor exercise. He represented the United States in the 1965 Maccabiah Games, winning four gold medals in gymnastics. In September 1966, just before his senior year at the University of California, Berkeley, Millman's motorcycle collided with a car. He suffered a shattered right femur, requiring surgical repair and a bone marrow transplant with a steel nail inserted in his femur (which was removed a year later after the leg was healed). He actively pursued rehabilitation and was able to return to gymnastics as co-captain of his team which won the 1968 NCAA Gymnastics Championships in Tucson, Arizona. He was the last male athlete to perform for the college on the high bar; he had his best-ever routine and perfect landing which clinched the team title. In 1968 he was voted Senior Cal Athlete of the Year; he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology.

Career

In 1968, Millman served as director of gymnastics at Stanford University, where he coached U.S. Olympian Steve Hug and brought the Stanford team to national prominence. During Millman's tenure at Stanford, he trained in aikido, eventually earning a shodan (black belt) ranking; he studied tai chi and other martial arts. In 1972, at the invitation of Jack Scott, a sports activist, Millman joined a program of athletic reform at Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio as an assistant professor of physical education. At Oberlin, on a travel research grant from the college, He went to San Francisco, where he completed the Arica 40-Day Intensive Training. Next he traveled to Hawaii, India, Hong Kong, and Japan; he studied various disciplines including yoga and martial arts in Japan. In 1985, Millman began to produce audio and video programs. He also started presenting seminars and professional keynotes. His work is generally connected to the "human potential movement". Millman has authored 17 books as of 2015 which have been published in 29 languages. In 2006, his first book, Way of the Peaceful Warrior, was adapted for a film, Peaceful Warrior. The movie stars Nick Nolte, distributed by Lionsgate Films and was re-released by Universal Pictures in 2007. He credits the inspiration for his first book to a gas station attendant he met who reminded him of Socrates and to whom he gave that name.

Personal life

Dan Millman and his wife, Joy, live in Brooklyn, New York and before that in San Rafael, California. They have three grown daughters and five grandchildren.

Works

Works by Millman include the following: