one of hicks' new mentors was tal ben-shahar, a positive psychologist and popular professor of psychology at the time at harvard university. hicks reached out to ben-shahar after being exposed to his writings, and the two corresponded about philosophical and spiritual matters for approximately one year, on up until hicks' 1997 death. the correspondence later became basis for a 1998 book by ben-shahar, in which he narrated hicks' profound growth during the year.