Master Sheng-yen; a dharma descendant from the founders of Buddhism in China; considers the concepts of suffering; enlightenment; and compassion; provides a glossary of key terms; and briefly recaps the history of Buddhism in China. But he goes beyond these issues to discuss contemporary matters and questions he has encountered in his years of teaching in the United States. Sometimes personal and always instructive; Sheng-yen's introductory work is perfect for those just coming to Buddhism; and for those who are already very familiar with the Tibetan and Zen schools.
#386897 in Books Knopf 2013-09-17 2013-09-17Format: Deckle EdgeOriginal language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.50 x 1.42 x 6.58l; 1.77 #File Name: 0385350155416 pages
Review
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful. Interesting topic; but not the best writingBy MattI came across the story of the Danish Jews as I was teaching WWII. It; surprisingly; was barely mentioned in the books I had read in the past; so I was very excited when I heard about this book.As interesting as the story is; the book itself was a bit underwhelming. On a positive note; the author clearly did his research on the topic; using quotes from letters and diaries written by the people involved in episode – Danish citizens; Danish Jews; and Germans. The author also has some good discussions regarding human nature and what created the environment where the Holocaust could succeed in some countries but fail in Denmark. However; the book was filled with many very similar stories; many times multiple stories from the same event with only slight variations in perspective. This writing style added length to the book without actually adding significantly to the story itself. Stylistically; the author periodically used present tense verbs; which was probably meant to create a “you are there†feel for the reader but only ended up creating an awkward writing style.Over all; the book showed good research on a topic that is not very well-known. But the writing style took away from book as a whole. I recommend this book; but mostly because there are so few books about this topic.10 of 11 people found the following review helpful. When a professional editor would have helpedBy HarrietSince the history of Scandinavian (not just Danish) Jewry holds a great interest with me; I was quite excited to get this book with which I was not previously familiar. As fascinating as the subject is; the book does not get more than 3 stars from me because of the poor writing. In general terms; it sounds like the author (who; undoubtedly has great academic credentials) wrote in Danish and then did a verbatim translation without much thought to context and meaning.For instance; your eye and mind will get caught on awkward constructions (like "addresses book"); plural possessives (like "the Germans' list" and "Jews' apartments" when an adjective would be the natural choice); strange expressions ("fisherman was doing tricks" (to show how the police were distracted)); jargong ("issue lost its topicality"); and choice of words ("troupe" (of refugees)). The syntax errors are just too many to mention in a review of this kind.I could go on; but there's no sense in doing so as the topic - and the research that went into it - outweighs the shortcomings. Still; I think potential readers should be aware of what they'll be facing when getting this book. Perhaps my review will also alert anyone writing in a foreign language and contemplating doing his/her own translation to get a professional editor to review for all these things I mentioned (and more).Regardless; for anyone interested in the subject of the rescue of the Danish Jews; this is a book worth reading. Just load up on lots of patience! Nothing challenges a reader of an otherwise invaluable book more than when the reading flow is interrupted by the above stumbling blocks; and more.4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. Inspiring; but a bit on the slow sideBy David M. BerlinguetteAs an example of exception to the rule of the day; Denmark stood out in its refusal to allow its countrymen to be persecuted by the occupiers during the Second World War. This book examines this exception and theorizes on the circumstances that made it possible. Though the overall story is interesting; I found the read to be a bit tedious. It seemed to repeatedly cycle between preparing and assisting for exodus; the journey; and the welcome in Sweden. After reading through this a few times; my interest began to fade. That said; it is indeed an inspiring story when you consider that a small occupied country was able to say "no" and stand up to (and influence the actions of) the most powerful occupying country.
