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Rating: 
Summary: Superb
Review: Although David Loy's touchstones in Western thought are Nietzche, Freud, and Heidegger, this book does not require any extensive familiarity with these figures (as a person trained in Anglo-American analytic philosophy, I wouldn't know a Heidegger if fell over one!). In any case, Loy investigates the idea that the basis for much of our unease and dysfunctional behavior is not so much fear of future death, as Freud thought, but rather a sneaking suspicion that we have no substantial self, that we are not really real, but rather, as the Buddhists teach, a kind of convenient fiction. It is a treat to follow Loy as he follows up on the implications of this possibility, and I think that even those without an interest in Buddhism will find themselves reflecting deeply on their own lives and on some of the institutionalized forms of craziness that affect modern society. This book has stimulated my thinking like very few others, and I strongly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Book now available in paperback
Review: Contrary to the 'out of print' notice, this book is now available in paperback (since December 2000) from Humanity Books, an imprint of Prometheus Books.I rate this book a 5, but then I'm biased -- I'm the author!
Rating:
Summary: Phenomenal
Review: I encountered this book in the University of Massachusetts library. I usually don't go in for books that deal with "Western" philosophy in-depth, but something about it made me check it out. I'm so glad I did. It's a fantastic book. Loy contrasts the Buddhist outlook to the outlooks of some Western thinkers (Freud, Nietzsche, Heidegger, etc) . It was a good feeling to see sketched out the relationship between my religion and modern philosophy, that they were motivated by the same questions but have come to different responses. This was one of the few books that have given me an "aha!" experience, where lots of disparate things fall into place and start to make sense. You don't need to have a lot of background in philosophy, either Western or Buddhist, to appreciate this book; the author goes into enough detail about each field to bring a novice up to speed. If you're an American or European Buddhist and/or you have ever wondered how Buddhism relates to mainstream Western thought, you should definitely read this book.
Rating:
Summary: Phenomenal
Review: I encountered this book in the University of Massachusetts library. I usually don't go in for books that deal with "Western" philosophy in-depth, but something about it made me check it out. I'm so glad I did. It's a fantastic book. Loy contrasts the Buddhist outlook to the outlooks of some Western thinkers (Freud, Nietzsche, Heidegger, etc) . It was a good feeling to see sketched out the relationship between my religion and modern philosophy, that they were motivated by the same questions but have come to different responses. This was one of the few books that have given me an "aha!" experience, where lots of disparate things fall into place and start to make sense. You don't need to have a lot of background in philosophy, either Western or Buddhist, to appreciate this book; the author goes into enough detail about each field to bring a novice up to speed. If you're an American or European Buddhist and/or you have ever wondered how Buddhism relates to mainstream Western thought, you should definitely read this book.
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