The Little Zen Companion

Rating:
Summary: Get this and keep it with you
Review: What I know about Zen you could put in a thimble and have room left over. This is a terrific book for someone like me who knows practitioners of Zen, but wants some fringe way to begin to wrap a fragile mind around a few Zen ideas. Anyone who practices Zen will tell you it's a lifetime pursuit so what's the use of this book? It fits in your pocket. It thumbs easily. It does not pretend to be a substitute for a lifetime of sitting. It's a good antidote for any time spent in meetings. It will provide a moment's respite in the harsh din. It's inexpensive. It will clear your head when it most needs clearing. It has no pretenses.

Rating:
Summary: Okay but not great
Review: You will learn little about ZEN in any worth while sense with this book, but if you are just beginning to wonder what ZEN is this is a great book. It gives you quotes from many traditions and personalities and it is very easy find things to inspire further thought and experience. If you're more familiar with ZEN it's still a great book because of the diversity of its source material and for the ocassional quick whack up-side the head. If you want SERIOUS zen books check out Meditation in Action (or Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism) -- by Chogyam Trungpa