Zen and Us

Initially, this attempt to explain why Westerners should consider Zen suffers from its heavy-handed attack on Christianity, seen as a monolithic ritual rather than as the potpourri it is. Further, the male-only vocabulary of the translation is almost stultifying. In the second half, however, when the narrator becomes we, I, or Zen, the book begins to sing, and one gets the flavor of Zen itself. The explanations of Zen practices are clear, showing not only how, but why, things are done as they are. The author offers examples from the literature as well as from his own experience. A flawed book, but suitable for larger collections seeking additional materials on Zen. Lucy Patrick, Florida State Univ. Lib., TallahasseeCopyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.