An uplifting story of the quest for an authentic life, and an insightful travel memoir exploring Japan, India, and the UK . Living in London, Ray Brooks, an outwardly successful but dissolute young man, is troubled by despair and lack of meaning. He travels to Tokyo to find himself, and fortuitously discovers the shakuhachi, an extremely difficult, ancient Japanese bamboo flute. He dedicates himself to mastering it, and his story becomes a passionate example of living in the present.