Rating: 
Summary: A huge amount of information...
Review: One hardly knows where to start with Austin's book - with more than 900 pages and hundreds of chapters it is easy to spend months reading this book let alone trying to review it. And months are really required simply to get a grasp of the interrelated themes and ideas that Austin deftly weaves.In the end I am very impressed with the level of scholarly attention that Austin has managed to mix in with personal observations and what many would term "new age" ideas. He links many aspects of meditation and its effects to observed physiological phenomenon in a style that is on par with what one would find in Scientific American. That is, someone with some biology background from upper high school should be able to grasp Austin's salient points. Austin also compiles a number of other researchers' information in the book and, in conjunction with his work, finally links many aspects of Zen to other work such as Grof's holotropic studies. Austin is primarily concerned with the brain in terms of the roles and interactions of the various large-scale structures such as the frontal lobe and brain stem. Most of this work is based on animal studies with some observations from humans who have suffered either selective damage or had special operations. As he states near the beginning, humankind owes the animal kingdom much for all the damage and pain we have caused to learn how complicated we are. The basic lesson to be learned from the book is simply how incredibly complicated the brain is; for all our studies we only just seem to know enough now to say "wow, this is really complicated". The book's real weakness lies in the fact that it doesn't comment on the fact that the brain's basic building blocks, neurons, are non-linear "devices" for lack of a better term. I recommend Wilson's "Spikes, Decisions, and Actions : The Dynamical Foundations of Neurosciences" for more information in this regard. This would imply that Prigogine's work on non-equilibrium systems is very applicable to attempting to describe the interactions between the various components of the brain - more evidence for Maturana and Varela to uphold autopoiesis. Going on a long trip or have several months on your hands? Want to see how complicated that stuff between your ears really is? Read this!
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating
Review: Several years ago I picked up a copy of "The Three Pillars of Zen" by Phillip Kapleau(sp?) and soon became convinced that zen practice had something to offer the rational person. Being such an individual, I had struggled with the Christianity of my parents. It seemed that I could not be both intellectually honest AND a christian at the same time (sorry Mom and Dad, but I KNOW that the world was not created in seven days, I KNOW that life evolves continuously, and I KNOW that there was no tower of Babel). Zen, though, does not ask one to throw aside one's scientific knowledge in order to practice it. In fact, while the advance of science has caused other religions to continually change thier dogma--the Earth is flat, okay, no it's round; the Sun goes around the Earth, okay, okay, the Earth goes around the Sun-- Zen doctrine has not been refuted in any way by science. Despite my rationality, however, I still believed that there may in fact be more to life and death than our feeble primate brains can comprehend. There must be some absolute TRUTH to everything. But how can one find it? How does one have the "mystical experience"? Well, I had just such an experience at the age of 15. I've told only a few people about it as I am quite sure that most would believe that it was just my imagination--believe me, I wish that I could "imagine" it again. At the time, I thought that it was God speaking to me or...something. Now, though, I am quite sure that it was a mild "Kensho." Why? Because, although I had no idea what zazen was, the experience itself was precipitated by a deep and profound questioning during prayer (I was still trying to be a christian then). The purpose of zen training is to reach "kensho", to become "enlightened", to come to true self-realization. Moreover, zen training provides one with a method to accomplish these objectives. One can be buddhist, jewish, christian, or an atheist and still practice zen. Years later I read Steven Pinker's "How the Mind Works", an excellent book. Soon, the idea ocurred to me that a cognitive scientist/psychologist like Pinker should do research on Zen. Such research, I believed, would certainly shed a great deal of light on the "mystical experience." Hey! Maybe I could write such a book, I thought. Well, wouldn't you know, one day, while browsing through the shelves at my local bookstore, I see a book titled "Zen and the Brain." Darn! Another one of my great ideas shot down. "Zen and the Brain" is that book. It was written by an M.D./ Neuroscientist. James H. Austin practiced zazen under a zen master and, considering his backround, is in the best position possible to explain what is really going on in the brain when one has a "mystical experience" such as kensho. This book can be both fascinating and tedious. Some of the sections on brain physiology can get a little dry. Overall, "Zen and the Brain" seems to have been written more for academia than the lay person--it was published by M.I.T. press, what do you expect? If you have an interest in both zen and cognitive science, then you will enjoy this book. Feel free to skip around a little as there are over 100 chapters and each is somewhat self-contained--somewhat. Also, check out "The Three Pillars of Zen", and "How the Mind Works."
Rating: 
Summary: Deluged by brilliance
Review: This is a fascinating and powerful book that should be required reading for scientist and theologians alike. However, as phenomenal as this book is, I would caution readers about the sheer density of this work. Tackling Zen AND neuroscience Austin does with grace and keen skill, but this book is 850 pages for a reason. Persons with only passing interest in Zen as it is written in coffee table books may be frustrated to the amazing depth of the text. Also, to some without any scientific leanings nor a strong interest in REAL Zen, this book may be overwhelming. Despite this warning, I found this book to be one of the most necessary to my library, aiding me constantly in both studies and personal growth. At times inducing insight, at times inducing frustration, at times inducing sublimity, this book is the best I have read on the phenomenons of both Zen and the Brain.
Rating:
Summary: Scholarly and highly readable
Review: This is a well-written and informative work on the changes that occur in our brains as a result of a long-term commitment to meditation, which can free us from the grip of our neurotic behaviors yet leave our healthy behaviors intact and even enhanced. I won't repeat the positive comments of other reviewers, but I definitely echo them in recommending this book to anyone on the meditative path who is seeking further information about meditation and its effect on our brains. If the length of the book seems overwhelming to you, note that the chapters are short and and structured in a very manageable style. This helps greatly in getting through the more difficult material. The book, less the extensive list of referances and source material, is about 700 pages. Like daily meditation, getting through this book requires a commitment of time and mental focus. For me, both endeavors have been well-worth the ongoing time and effort they require.
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