Book excerpt: Zoltan Speaks is the spiritual journey of Joshua Thompson from a young boy to an old man. Each developmental stage is depicted in the form of encountering the mysterious Zoltan, who offers an allegorical tale, along with a lesson from the mystics. We meet Josh as he is conscripted into the impossible task of weeding Mr. Mead’s backyard. A hole in the back fence leads to an abandoned carnival in the forest, where Josh meets Zoltan, a glass-enclosed wooden dummy. Zoltan comes alive and treats him with a story and a card with a relevant quote from the mystics. All thirteen entertaining tales, from “The Marvelous Mrs. Groundhog” to “The Wind Chimes,” cover the trials and tribulations of growing up, professional crises, romance, growing old, and finding one’s place in the universe.