BOOKS
Book #1: This Way to the Stars: an Introduction to Philosophy
Who are we? What does it mean to be good and live well? Why are we here?
These are questions that philosophers throughout the ages have wrestled with. And questions that, in a world where technology is shuttling us swiftly into uncharted territory, remain as worthy of contemplation as they ever were.
In This Way to the Stars: An Introduction to Philosophy, Huisman surveys the history of Western thought and takes the reader on a journey across the ages to learn from some of history's greatest thinkers and hear what they have to say about the eternal questions (and more). Along the journey, readers gets a glimpse into ideas from Ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome; Early Christianity; Medieval Times; Renaissance; Enlightenment; and Early Modern Politics. All leading up to the Modern Western Mind and the problems it grapples with.
By looking at a few philosophers from each age, dissecting some of their most influential ideas, and then offering a takeaway lesson that serves as a modern application of ancient wisdom, Huisman does his best to deliver a digestible summary of philosophy in way that encourages readers to turn their attention back to the True, Good, and Beautiful.
Because in contemplating these highest ideals, and how our day-to-day actions might help us make progress in their direction, philosophy becomes a way of life. And in making that journey, philosophy fulfills its promise: this way, to the stars.
Book #3: This Way to the Stars: The Tao Beyond Time
We find ourselves at a crossroads. We live in an age of unprecedented technological advancements and material abundance… but our bodies are anxious, our minds are nihilistic, and our spirits are restless. Too proud to need others, too modern to need tradition, and too enlightened to need God or our ancestors, we have cut ourselves off from our sources of life.
But there is an eternal Way that leads to Life. It is a Way that runs through our roots, as old as mountains but as fresh as morning dew—a Way of paths both ancient and living centered on the principles and patterns that transcend time and guide us toward a full spirit and a good life. This book is about that Way.
In this final installment of the This Way to the Stars trilogy, Huisman synthesizes timeless teachings of philosophers and poets, pulling from Socrates and the Stoics to the Bible and the Buddha, inviting the reader to discover how reconnecting with ancient truths holds the key to modern flourishing.
Whether you’re grappling with life’s big questions or seeking practical wisdom for daily living, The Tao Beyond Time offers a path toward spiritual renewal through a remembering of ancient ideas. We can remain uprooted or we can sink our roots deep into the soil of eternal truths and find ourselves once again beginning to flower. Those that grow tallest have the deepest roots.
This way, to the stars.
Book #2: This Way to the Stars: A History of the Hero
Heroes.
They have been with us since the beginning. Their stories shaped our ancestors. Their journeys tell timeless truths about the fundamental nature of being. And their myths have always moved us—pointing us toward what it means to be good and live well.
By spending time with them, we are ennobled. By studying their way, we see how we might join this invisible community of those dedicated to the True, Good, and Beautiful.
In A History of the Hero, Huisman first outlines the Hero’s Way—a model of adventure and transformation running through hero myths that individuals can use as a map for self-development. Huisman then traces the development of the Western ideal through the stories of the Ancient and Medieval Worlds. We follow Gilgamesh on his search for immortality, Odysseus through the high seas, Aeneas out of a fallen Troy, David confronting Goliath, the Knights of the Roundtable on their quest for the Holy Grail, and many more.
Rooted in a retelling true to the original sources, Huisman’s book is both a reference book for scholars of all ages and a tool for anyone seeking the transcendent.
Where better to learn of the Light than from those closest to it?
This way, to the stars.
Ad lucem.