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.