A publisher encounters a wise old man and, as a result of their mystical relationship, receives from him his laws for finding happiness and success.

Mandino tells of meeting a man who changed his life and of new message of courage and hope to a troubled world.

Outlines a practical program and philosophy for improving daily living, mental and spiritual health, and business proficiency.

The author recounts his descent into despair and his discovery of spiritual nourishment in the works of Aristotle, Emerson, Ben Franklin, and Plato, and enumerates the seventeen rules that helped transform his life.