What I've Read - Zen and Hitchhiking.

Zen Wrapped in Karma Dipped in Chocolate: A Trip Through Death, Sex, Divorce, and Spiritual Celebrity in Search of the True Dharma by Brad Warner - New World Library:

"How does a real-life Zen master — not the preternaturally calm, cartoonish Zen masters depicted by mainstream culture — help others through hard times when he’s dealing with pain of his own? How does he meditate when the world is crumbling around him? Is meditation a valid response or just another form of escapism? These are the questions Brad Warner ponders in Zen Wrapped in Karma Dipped in Chocolate.

During a year that Warner spent giving talks and leading retreats across North America, his mother and grandmother died, he lost his dream job, and his marriage fell apart. In writing about how he applied the Buddha’s teachings to his own real-life suffering, Warner shatters expectations, revealing that Buddhism isn’t some esoteric pie-in-the-sky ultimate solution but an exceptionally practical way to deal with whatever life dishes out."

I've read, enjoyed and learned quite a bit from Warner's previous books, Hardcore Zen and Sit Down and Shut Up, and what I thought of his previous work holds true for this one.

He's the best, no bullshit, lay it out straight author on zen I've read. I get a lot from his books and he's a really engrossing and engaging writer. The only hangup I really have with him is that he's such a dogmatic true believer. But the thing is, if you're gonna be a true believer in anything, zen buddhism is probably the safest bet, because it doesn't care one whit if anybody else believes as well.

And most of the basic tenets and ideas of zen resonate with me. Without sitting zazen, which I really should do, intellectually the fact that, yes, there is stuff, but most of "the world" and "reality" is just your thoughts about stuff. So getting worked up about all that, while it happens, you need to keep it in perspective. Yeah, I need to sit. Working on it. Great book. Recommended.


Kindness of Strangers by Mike McIntyre - don't know where I [or Sandy] even picked this up. Light, quick, interesting read. I enjoyed it.

"From Publishers Weekly
McIntyre decided to confront his fears and the shaky path his life was taking by hitchhiking from San Francisco to Cape Fear, N.C. Along the way, he hoped to find some kindness in the soul of America and vowed to accept no money, only food, shelter and friendship. ...The Kindness of Strangers is the story of those who help and hinder his journey: the vast array of kind souls and weirdoes, as well as Americana at its best and worst... McIntyre writes eloquently and rekindles optimism in America's character.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc."