AMY WINKLER/Arizona Daily Wildcat Alumni Mark "ZonaCat" Hansen, author of the book "American Dream Chasing with Spirit Drive! Not Ego Jive," attended UA in the early '80s. Hansen's book is scheduled to release later this month.

It's amazing how career paths can sometimes meander circuitously around the best-laid life plans. Former University of Arizona drama student Mark "ZonaCat" Hansen attended school at UA in the early 80s intending to develop his dramatic skills. Now the never-before-published philosopher is dabbling with the arts of writing novels and producing theater.

This month, Hansen announced the upcoming release of his book/one-man show, "American Dream Chasing with Spirit Drive! Not Ego Jive!"

In his production, Hansen, a self-described "abstract, random, type-A, extroverted, intuitive, feeling, perceiving, attention deficit disordered, brain type," examines the differences between finding happiness in one's life through ego-based or spirit-based methods.

This is the point where many people roll their eyes and tune out what may be perceived as "psychobabble." But Hansen examines the differences between the two methods in a way that is both humorous and easy to relate to.

By incorporating the philosophies of authors Herman Hesse and Lao Tse and the principles of Buddhism, Hansen tries to let people know in his offbeat way that to be truly happy, one needs to be spirit-driven.

"Everything in this story is true," Hansen said. "It all really happened. Nothing was fabricated."

Nearly frantic storytelling establishes a mood that baits the readers and keeps them hooked throughout. Hansen, however, jumps from topic to topic quite rapidly, which makes for great storytelling but sometimes loses a bit of the written word's impact.

He details something as seemingly mundane as catching a yellow light at Speedway Boulevard and Euclid Avenue, something most have done at least once in their lives, and shows how individual reactions to that light can determine if the spirit is driving or the ego is jiving.

Hansen describes the difference, in part, as the difference between rooting for the UA (spirit drive) and rooting against the University of California Los Angeles (ego jive).

In fact, Hansen's dislike for all things UCLA is a main theme throughout the book. He describes the student body as "unenlightened crybabies lacking acumen," that is basically only driven by ego jive.

"I found it funny that some people don't understand people who operate from inner signals," Hansen said.

Acting as both the protagonist and the narrator of the story, Hansen takes the reader through various interactions with people from different walks of life to show how the ego jive rules a majority of what he calls "they."

Not that Hansen himself hasn't been tempted by ego jive. In the book, he moves from describing his stints as a door-to-door book salesman to his job as a security guard to his invention of an exercise machine that he hopes to distribute soon - all the while trying to maintain the delicate balance between spirit and ego.

If a reader is seeking an epic novel that defines a generation, this isn't the book. But, if the reader is looking for a quick read, "American Dream Chasing" may be perfect.

Heartened Aero distributes Hansen's book, and while it is now only available in print form, eventually it will be coupled with a video version that buyers can purchase as a package.

Hansen's show by the same title, which is tied into the book, will open at the Adelaide Fringe Festival in Australia in late February.

"People who would buy this book would be comfortable wearing jeans anywhere: plays, operas, wherever," Hansen said.

For more information about Mark "ZonaCat" Hansen, visit www.zonacat.com.