A review of Free the Beagle: A Journey to Destinae by Roy H. William

Litzenberg, Don

English

Fort Hays State University

Academic Leadership: The Online JournalVolume 2Issue 3 Summer 2004 Article 3May 2017Review: Free the Beagle - A Journey to DestinaeDon LitzenbergChapman UniversityFollow this and additional works at: https://scholars.fhsu.edu/aljPart of the Educational Leadership Commons, Higher Education Commons, and the TeacherEducation and Professional Development CommonsThis Article is brought to you for free and open access by FHSU Scholars Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Academic Leadership: TheOnline Journal by an authorized editor of FHSU Scholars Repository.Recommended CitationLitzenberg, Don (2017) "Review: Free the Beagle - A Journey to Destinae," Academic Leadership: The Online Journal: Vol. 2 : Iss. 3 ,Article 3.Available at: https://scholars.fhsu.edu/alj/vol2/iss3/3academicleadership.org http://www.academicleadership.org/143/free_the_beagle_a_journey_to_destinae/Academic Leadership JournalFree the Beagle: A Journey to Destinae by Roy H. WilliamsAtlanta, Georgia: Bard Press 2002, 127 pages, $14.95 (soft cover)A review by Don Litzenberg, Graduate student, Chapman UniversityThe art of the parable seems to be lost in today’s world of precise definitions and exact interpretations.However, in Roy William’s Free the Beagle, the art is not only regained, it is glorified and taken to newheights. The story is essentially “the textbook allegorical Hero’s journey, updated for a newgeneration”(p. 127).The story begins with the protagonist, a lawyer named Intellect, who is forced to take the beagle,Intuition, on a journey to Destinae. Destinae is a far away land from which no one has ever returned,and no one knows for sure how to get to.The book chronicles his journey through such interesting places as the swamp of despair, whereIntellect meets up with the bandits, Worry, Fear, and Panic. After awaking from an attack from the threebandits, Intellect realizes he must find his way out of the swamp, and realizes on the hill Epiphany, “If astep seemed easy, he knew it was leading him downward. It was only the more difficult steps that wouldtake him higher.” (p. 36).As the book progresses, the reader begins to make sense of some of the odd quotes that are placedin the book’s margins. For example, when Intellect is resting in the village of Compromise, the chapterbegins with the margin quote “Perfection does not exist: to understand it is the triumph of humanintelligence; to expect it is the most dangerous kind of madness. –Alfred de Mussey” (p.56)While on the surface, the village of Compromise would seem to have nothing to do with either thepursuit or understanding of perfection, and, as the reader continues, it becomes apparent that thetownspeople feel that they have achieved perfection in simplicity. Not only is everything provided for thetown in the grain fields that border it, but the people actually seek to live off only the perfect field thatnature has sought to provide. It soon becomes apparent that the absolute drive to achieve perfectsimplicity has driven the residents of Compromise to a certain kind of madness where they are unableto see anything outside of their grain and village.The book moves quickly towards an end that has an epiphany of its own, and is followed by questionsfor the reader to ponder. While being relatively simplistic at times, the questions are very helpful toeducators considering the book for classroom use, as it lends itself to follow up assignments. Despitethe simplicity of the end-of-book questions, the reader will find him or herself really asking some veryintrospective questions of him or herself. The margin quotes, such as “I knew when looking back on thetimes we cried, I would laugh, but I never thought when looking back on the times we laughed I wouldcry. –Unknown” force the reader to consider him or herself and his or her own experiences with neweyes.The real value of the book lies in the lessons that are taught to educators, leaders, and students alike.The book manages to take the world and put it into a perspective that is useful to all ages, all positions,to all. Free the Beagle is an amazingly insightful piece of work and a definite must read for today’s (andtomorrow’s) leaders. Every leader should study William’s work as both a guideline to ethical behaviorand a blueprint for success.Williams has mastered the lost art of parable. Where most other authors merely take a simple idea andtell a story around it, Williams is incredibly good at creating a work that causes the reader to look at theworlds around and inside him or her. Every reader will take a different story away from Free the Beagle,but each reader will come away from the book with a new understanding of self and others.VN:R_U [1.9.11_1134]

Review: Free the Beagle - A Journey to Destinae

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Review: Free the Beagle - A Journey to Destinae

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