Book excerpt: A comprehensive, yet entertaining introduction to Advaita, the non-dual philosophy which provides a completely reasonable explanation for who we are and the nature of the universe. There are many self-help approaches promising enlightenment and happiness but most are illogical and lack any proven capability. Advaita has a guru-disciple tradition stretching back for several thousand years and can guarantee the sincere seeker a progressive path to self-realization. A 21st Century treatment of this ancient eastern philosophy, this book addresses all of the issues that are covered by both traditional teachers from the lineage of Shankara and by modern satsang teaching and Direct Path methods stemming from Ramana Maharshi and Krishna Menon. Topics are explained in an accessible and readable manner, using amusing quotations and stories along with an abundance of metaphors from a wide variety of sources.