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Rating: 
Summary: No improvement over silence
Review: Inscribed on the inside cover of this book is the saying: "do not speak unless you can improve on silence." If the maxim was followed, this book would never have been written.
The author travelled to the Thai Temple for International Monks, Wat Pah Nanachat, and spent a brief period there practicing the dharma. Most of what he found out there is essentially valid. Namely: 1.) you don't need to be a monk in order to meditate; 2.) many of the rules in the vinaya don't always make sense in modern life; 3.) Samsara is a mental state; and 4.) disciples can and do misinterpret their teachers.
As someone with a philosophy background, he was also quick to pick up the fundamentals of the philosophy of buddhism and buddhist practice. By the end of the book, he was at least able to recognize and apologize for his passive-agressive attacks, tests, and harangues of the monks there, which he describes with admirable frankness. I was very impressed by the restraint exercised by the monks in the face of this. The monks were remarkably kind and tolerant; they must have regarded Tim Ward's personal attacks and outbursts with compassion.
I read this book because I was interested in Wat Pah Nanachat, and this is a book about a brief stay at Wah Pah Nanachat. Tim Ward is a journalist, and was on a trip through asia in which he sampled various different religions and temples. It was interesting in its own right for being a beginner's tale, but would have been more illuminating had the author been more experienced by the time he arrived at Pah Nanachat, or spent much more time there sincerely practicing.
It is also written from the standpoint of a journalist who appreciates scandal and drama more than peace and harmony. In the book, Mr. Ward has real difficulty following the part of the eightfold path dedicated to right speech, and also observing the fundamental rule of not looking to others to judge how they are practicing, but rather looking inwardly.
The author remarks several time throughout the book about how he is an author, and how he made plans during meditation time for writing books, teaching at a university etc. It almost seems as if the dialogue in the book was engaged in for the purpose of putting it into this book.
Still, there were some remarkable facts about life at Wat Pah Nanachat that stand out: giant cobras, killer centipedes, scorpions and spiders as big as a hand, huge flying insects, pervasive swarms of biting insects, olives pickled in cow urine to fight constant constipation caused by eating all food for the day in one meal, and descriptions of strange Thai fruits. The Jungle around the Wat was reminiscent of the description of the garden of eden in Paradise Lost, with more thorns and biting insects.
On the whole though, this book is not recommended for those on the path.
Rating: 
Summary: Book exposes hypocrisy and literalism
Review: Everyone can be a fundamentalist. This "problem" is not limited to Christians, however much we Buddhists would like to think so. Tim Ward shows how Theravada Buddhism, with its stress on the "perfect Dhamma" and hundreds of rules, can be corrupted in practice. Example: monks seem to take advantage of ignorant laypeople. Not surprising; monks are people, too. Example: cliques form in the monastery, and monks can be catty and nasty to each other. Not surprising, of course, but you never hear about it. Example: monks aren't allowed to kill anything. So, they take a layperson with them into the jungle, and say, "Get rid of this", pointing at weeds or whatever needs to be cleared. This is not consistent with the spirit of the rules, but it follows the letter of the rules. Thus the problems of literalism raise their head. Tim Ward is a gentle, well meaning traveller who does all Buddhists a favor by showing that Buddhism can fall victim to the problems of all religions.
Rating:
Summary: Book exposes hypocrisy and literalism
Review: Everyone can be a fundamentalist. This "problem" is not limited to Christians, however much we Buddhists would like to think so. Tim Ward shows how Theravada Buddhism, with its stress on the "perfect Dhamma" and hundreds of rules, can be corrupted in practice. Example: monks seem to take advantage of ignorant laypeople. Not surprising; monks are people, too. Example: cliques form in the monastery, and monks can be catty and nasty to each other. Not surprising, of course, but you never hear about it. Example: monks aren't allowed to kill anything. So, they take a layperson with them into the jungle, and say, "Get rid of this", pointing at weeds or whatever needs to be cleared. This is not consistent with the spirit of the rules, but it follows the letter of the rules. Thus the problems of literalism raise their head. Tim Ward is a gentle, well meaning traveller who does all Buddhists a favor by showing that Buddhism can fall victim to the problems of all religions.
Rating:
Summary: "A support group for the Buddhism dabbler..."
Review: For me a newly practicing Buddhist, reading "What the Buddha Never Taught" was like being in a support group with a whole cast of characters failing where I fail and doubting where I doubt. Their novice exploration of practice serves as a great introduction to basic Buddhist thought and follows up with a lively discussion. Their questions helped me find my own answers. The book includes an excellent glossary of Pali and Thai terminology. An excellent journey into the Therevadan mindset. Be forewarned Tim feels no compulsion to keep within dogmatic lines. Fudamentalists might want to steer clear.
Rating:
Summary: No improvement over silence
Review: If you are new to the path, or have been on it for a while... READ THIS BOOK. If your the average Western thinker looking for insight into the life of a monk and one man... READ THIS BOOK. For me, the average American, this book spoke volumes to me, it was smart, clever, humorous, and very benificial. So please READ THIS BOOK
Rating: 
Summary: The Antidote
Review: This is the book you give your Theravadin friend, the one who you suspect may be taking it all to seriously, but you don't want to try to argue with him or correct him. Okay, so we are all suckers at some point in The Path. I am still practicing, without compunctions. But books like this one (I wish there were more of such) are needed to keep our vision clear. Gotta go now, and order Tim's other two books, which I will cheerfully buy without hesitation. I really trust this guy.
Rating:
Summary: Buddhist realism
Review: Ward's account of his stay in a famous Thai forest monastery provides a profound glimpse of the potential rewards and the many difficulties of Buddhist practice. His unvarnished, well-told story is a far more realistic view of what that path is all about than you are likely to find in most Buddhist how-to manuals.
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