The Best of all Possible Worlds is a spiritual and philosophical work of fiction. It is the first novel by B. Steven Verney, a long-time practitioner and teacher of Transcendental Meditation.
The main character, Sam O’Connor, is a philosophy graduate student whose life takes an unexpected turn when he meets the love of his life, Amy.
Instead of spending the summer working at his family café in Greenwich Village, Sam now finds himself at a Transcendental Meditation teacher training course in Switzerland. 
Guided and encouraged by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Sam embarks upon a journey of discovering the transcendental in Western philosophy and living it through the difficulties of his personal and academic life…
This is a heart-warming, inspiring and enjoyable piece of fiction. The author integrates deep wisdom and skillful storytelling in presenting a narrative that is full of suspense, yet permeated by light, compassion and non-violence.
Indeed, the book makes the reader see, for the first time—our world is the best of all ones.
An excerpt: Maharishi’s guiding words
“In the last days of the course, Maharishi made Sam and Amy and the other course participants teachers of TM. It was truly a gratifying moment. Before leaving for the airport in Zurich, Maharishi had been kind, inviting them to a private meeting.
“How was the course? Mmm? Were your expectations met?” Maharishi inquired, smiling.
“Yes, Maharishi, the course was beautiful. The knowledge and the experiences are just beautiful. It’s hard to find words for it,” replied Amy.
Sam added, “Yes, Maharishi. Thank you for inviting me. It changed forever my life. Now I’m thinking about what I should do. I need to finish my Ph.D., but then I’m wondering whether it’s better to teach philosophy at a university or teach TM.”
“Finish the Ph.D. and teach at the university,” Maharishi answered without hesitation, “and teach TM when you have time. This will be the best way.”
Maharishi paused and looked at them with great happiness. “Only now,” he continued, “you should look for the transcendent in Western philosophy. It is there. Socrates and Plato knew about pure consciousness. Bring out the knowledge of pure consciousness so that the students realize it is not some foreign idea from India, but something universal.”
What other readers are saying
“The Best of All Possible Worlds falls within the genre of philosophic novels like Pirsig’s Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance and Millman’s Way of the Peaceful Warrior.” — Blue Ink Review
“This book is a buoyant Walt Whitman-like celebration story of the journey toward enlightenment by a master story-teller… It should be ready by millions…” — Dr. David Haight, professor of Philosophy at Plymouth State University.
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