A young, cynical engineer from Texas begins work on a philosophical research project he doesn't believe in - yet he finds himself gradually drawn towards a more holistic view of life by what he discovers along the way. In the company of a beautiful Quranic scholar, he begins a quest that will take him to halfway across the world and deep into the Swiss mountains, meeting with Christian fundamentalists, Swiss physicists and Buddhist monks along the way. As he searches for meaning in this troubled world, he comes to a greater understanding of the human soul - and his own heart.