Golf in the Kingdom
Esalen Institute founder Michael Murphy's divine meditation on the royal and ancient game defied categorization when it was first published in 1972, and it still does. Instantly hailed as a classic,Golf in the Kingdomis an altogether unique confluence of fiction, philosophy,  myth, mysticism,  enchantment,  and golf instruction. The central character is a wily Scotsman named Shivas Irons, a golf professional by vocation and a shaman by design, whom Murphy, as participant in his own novel, meets in 1956 on the links of Burningbush, in Fife.  The  story of their round of golf together culminates in a wild night of whiskey and wisdom where, as Shivas demonstrates how the swing reflects the soul, their golf quite literally takes on a metaphysical glow. The events alter not only Murphy's game, but they also radically  alter his mind and inner vision; it's truly unforgettable. For a golfer, Murphy's masterpiece  is as essential as a set of clubs.