Otto Ringling is a straightlaced publishing executive with two kids a lovely wife a fine home in a fancy New York suburb and a nagging suspicion that somethingamp39s missing. How then does he end up traveling through Middle America with a berobed Mongolian monk Ah. The real question to ask is Why When his sister tricks him into taking her guru on a trip to their childhood home Otto a confirmed skeptic is not amused. Six days on the road with an enigmatic holy man who answers every question with a riddle is not what heamp39d planned. But in an effort to westernize his passengerampmdashand amuse himselfampmdashhe decides to show the monk some ampquotAmerican funampquot along the way. From a chocolate factory in Hershey to a bowling alley in South Bend from a Cubs game at Wrigley Field to his family farm near Bismarck Otto is given the remarkable opportunity to see his worldampmdashand more important his lifeampmdashthrough someone elseamp39s eyes. Gradually skepticism yields to amazement as he realizes that his companion might just be the real thing. In Roland Merulloamp39s masterful hands Otto tells his story with all the wonder bemusement and wry humor of a man who unwittingly finds what heamp39s missing in the most unexpected place.