Zen & the Beat Way

By Alan W. Watts

Book Overview

As described in Jack Kerouac's Dharma Blues, Zen had a strong appeal to the Beat generation. In this collection of essays--based on a selection of radio talks and lectures given in the late 1950s and... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0804831173
• ISBN13: 9780804831178
• Release Date: January 1997
• Publisher: Tuttle Publishing
• Length: 128 Pages
• Weight: 0.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 7.3" x 0.5" x 5.0"

Customer Reviews

Forget the misleading "Beat" title...but it's good!

Definitely don't buy this if you're looking for lots of info or an extensive essay on the "beat" generation, etc. The awesome Alan Watts does deal with that topic, but almost in passing. He's goes into more detail explaining Zen and Hindu ideas with a huge helping of humor. Some ideas will stay with you. His emphasis on the key concepts of living the moment and a job as an avocation (not just to spend x number of hours making money but to do for the JOY of it)forever will be imprinted in your mind, as well as various clever examples he sites. Especially memorable is his explanation of how we Americans often live too much in the past and future and don't appreciate the present. He likened it to a coin: one side is the future, the other the past -- but the REAL stuff is the metal in between (the present). A small book with lots of big ideas that are cleverly presented.

Magnificiently clear and unblemished.

This is probably a book for anyone who has been interested in the "beat generation" and is now looking furthur and finding the religion in it. Alan Watts is simply amazing.

Excellent book; concise and to the point,

An excellent find. Alan Watts brings humanity and humor to Zen and to the Beat generation in his clear, concise style. A fascinating look at America in the 50's and 60's through the eyes of someone who was an influential part of the Beat generation but who remained outside of it. Highly recommended