Anne Bancroft does a wonderful job of giving us the ACTUAL words of the Buddha and only the Buddha. She selflessly steps aside and let's Buddha's words speak for themselves. Many introductory books on Buddhism or Buddha's teaching are filled with miles and miles and miles and miles of commentary and interpretation by the editors as if they themselves were the enlightened one and Buddha is just an afterthought. They go on and on about what they think Buddhism is and what they think Buddha means and what we should think about what the Buddha said. Occasionally we'll get a snippet of what Buddha actually said, usually only to support the author's interpretation. In many of these books I wondered when if ever I would ever read what Buddha actually said. Buddha was a very literate and lucid speaker. I think most anyone can understand his words if you can just get your hands on what he actually said. We don't need miles of interpretation, commentary and present day scenarios. Buddha's words are as valid today as they were 2500+ years ago. Anyone can understand them if you could just read them in a simple and comfortably arranged fashion like this book. With only a wonderfully brief 2-1/2 page preface, we get right into what Buddha actually said. What a concept! Kudos to Anne Bancroft. Anne does a great job of culling out great gems from the vast Buddhist texts. It's an introductory book, so the deepest teachings are only hinted at here and there but they're there. You begin feeling calm and well as the the Buddha was supremely calm and well in mind, body and soul. Books of commentary probably have there place somewhere but it is really nice to have an editor just let the words speak for themselves. If you want the truth, plain and simple, with a book that you can read again and again even ten years from now, get this book. Thank You Anne Bancroft.

This will be a welcome addition to your Buddhist book collection. Anne Bancroft has done a wonderful job of collecting and arranging some of the Buddha's most enlightening sayings. I must say that I enjoyed reading this more thna any other book on the topic in recent memory. I promise you that you will want to buy more than one copy of this book, as you will find your self handing it out to everyone of your friends and family who ask the question, "Say what is that Buddhism all about?" Enjoy. . .

Hi, I am a high school student and own this book. I use it at debate tournaments and it works great even though we only get 7 min, 30 secs to read the story and would recommend this book to any person out there! VERY SCARY!

First, an appeal to Amazon: Get the title right! The all-important word MYSTICS (after "women") definitely belongs there!!! Second, I only rarely grant 5 stars to a book. This is an excellent set of introductions to women of great wisdom.

This is a wonderful and visually stimulating introduction to Zen. In the opening essay, Ms. Bancroft frames her analysis of Zen as a series of mini biographies of key figures in Zen: the Sixth Patriarch Hui-Neng, Lin-chi (Japanese: Rinzai), Dogen, Hakuin, and two modern masters - Shunryu Suzuki and Seung Sahn Soen-na. In fact, by special permission, the book contains the transcript of a conversation between Master Seung Sahn and a pupil. After the opening essay is a series of pictures: ancient portraits of Zen masters, ancient landscape paintings, and photographs of scenes in Zen temples today. I highly recommend this book to anyone curious about Zen, and in particular, to anyone intrigued by the relation of Zen and the arts.

This charming little book is a collection of letters between New York author Helene Hanff and London bookseller Frank Doel. In the course of 20 years from Hanff's first book order from Marks & Co,, till Doel's death in 1969 they connected through the mail they exchanged and built a wonderful relationship. While Hanff became friends with Doel's family and his co-workers at the bookstore, what the two had was something special, revolving around their love of literature. Despite plans to do so, the two never met as Hanff didn't make it to London until after Doel's death and the publication of the letters. This book beautifully demonstrates the power of correspondence and how two people can connect, solely by the written word.

Heartwarming, funny, sad, all rolled in one. I went on to read other books by Hanff where she describes her trips to London. After reading her books, I too went on a pilgrimage to 84, Charing Cross Road.

March 8, 1999

This is a true story--that's always a plus for me--about correspondence between a New York booklover/writer and the staff of a used and antiquarian book shop in London. These business correspondents evolve over the years into members of a kind of extended family.

The book is rather amazing because it is a quick read yet packs a powerful emotional wallop. To enjoy this book, you have to be open to books that explore compassion, emotions, and human relationships in a non-glossy, realistic manner.

Normally, I'm a one-read guy. I read a book and pass it on. Yet, I've read 84 Charing Cross Road three times -- so far -- in spite of seeing the movie version three times as well.

I'd place 84 Charing Cross Road among my top five favorite books.

Rodney

This is the story of an American writer (the author of the book) who strikes up a friendship by mail with a bookseller in England. The entire book is a series of unedited and un-commented-on letters exchanged between Hanff and the Marks & Co. booksellers at 84 Charing Cross Road. Her primary pen pal is a man named Frank Doel, with whom she shares a love of old books. [Perhaps this is the point where I should say that I flatly disagree, without reservation, with the previous reviewers who believe there was a potential romantic attachment between the two of them.]

The correspondence runs from 1949 until 1969, during which time Helene and the people at 84 Charing Cross Road exchange Christmas gifts and news of their families, but never meet. At least in the early years of the correspondence, almost every year Ms. Hanff states her intention to come over to visit England, but something always comes up to prevent the trip.

In 1969, one of Hanff's letters to Frank Doel is answered by another member of the firm, informing her that Frank Doel has died.

This is a beautiful book, which can be read in 45 minutes. I suppose every reader will take his or her own lessons from the book, but here is mine: If there is something you really want to do in your life, then DO IT when the opportunity arises. Time is finite. If you keep saying, "Maybe next year," there will eventually come a time when there IS no next year. It is a painful tragedy that Helene Hanff never got to England to meet Frank Doer and the other people at Marks & Company, and that poignant sadness is what stayed with me after I had closed the book.