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Left Coast Writers Literary Salon: Perry Garfinkel

Monday, November 6, 2006

Left Coast Writers Literary Salon, 7pm

Perry Garfinkel

Book Passage, 51 Tamal Vista, Corte Madera, CA
In the tradition of JEFF GREENWALD and WES (SCOOP) NISKER, an

evening with PERRY GARFINKEL is an event you don’t want to miss.

 
While JEFF GREENWALD treated us to spellbinding tales as he

shopped for the perfect Buddha and WES NISKER filled us with

wisdom and laughter as he shared pieces from his “The Big Bang,

the Buddha and the Baby Boom,” PERRY GARFINKEL will share his

worldwide hunt to discover the heart of Buddhism and the secrets he

learned about writing and self along the way.

 
“As John McPhee and Paul Theroux offer lush descriptions of

physical landscapes, Garfinkel surveys the internal world with

equal scrutiny…Fast enough for the beach yet dense enough for

the scholar’s library.” The Boston Globe

 
ABOUT “BUDDHA OR BUST” AND PERRY GARFINKEL

 
Why does an idea that’s 2,500 years old seem more relevant today

than ever before? How can the Buddha’s teachings help us solve

many of the world’s problems? Journalist Perry Garfinkel

circumnavigated the globe to discover the heart of Buddhism and

the reasons for its growing popularity–and ended up discovering

himself in the process.

 
Along the way he met a diverse array of Buddhist

practitioners—Thai artists, Indian nuns, Sri Lankan school

children, Zen archers in Japan, kung fu monks in China and the

world’s first Buddhist comic (only in America). Among dozens of

Buddhist scholars and leaders, Garfinkel interviewed His Holiness

the Dalai Lama, an experience that left him speechless—almost. As

just reward for his efforts, toward the end of his journey

Garfinkel fell in love in the south of France at the retreat

center of a leader of the engaged movement, the Vietnamese

Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh—a romance that taught him as much

about Buddhism as all the masters combined.

 
In this original, entertaining book, Garfinkel separates Buddhist

fact from fiction, sharing his humorous insights and keen

perceptions about everything from spiritual tourism to Asian

traffic jams to the endless road to enlightenment.

 
Check out Perry’s website to see scenes from Perry’s worldwide

journey in the footsteps of the Buddha:

http://www.BuddhaOrBust.com .