This is a book of tales with spiritual meaning that doesn't try to be spiritual and erudite; it simply tells simple stories of simple lives. Some of the tales have Asian roots such as the tale of the Samuria warrior who asks a master about heaven and hell. Some are traditional elaborations on Biblical texts such as the adjective used to describe Moses. Some are humorous expansions of Biblical texts such as why Adam and Eve were not made until the sixth day. Several are stories relating to understanding between Jews, Christians and Muslims. Some are traditional Hasidic tales. Some may even be actual experiences of the author.

All the stories are told clearly and directly - nothing to come between the reader and the story. Each is accompanied by a pen and ink drawing reflecting the simplicity and the message of the story.

There are many religious story books available - Anthony de Mello, Mulla Nasrudin, The Conference of the Birds, Tales of Hasidic Masters, exempla, Jataka ... - this stands as one of the best.

When an 87-year-old Kabbalistic rabbi sits down to spin teaching stories he's learned over his long years, you'd better sit down and listen. This is a modern-day rabbi who relates to all faiths and does so in a humorous and informative manner. I loved this book -- an I am a Muslim married to a Christian.

not as bad as the title sounds...maybe 4 3/4 stars...trys to get you to focus on what is right and not what will continue to distract you...a guy gave me the book to read that used to throw clubs when he was unhappy...said it changed his whole approach to the game...i havent seen him throw a club in 6 months so i thought I'd try the book too.
I never threw clubs and now I figured out why....same indian shoots all the arrows...why be mad at myself..?

What's the point of golf? What are we trying to achieve while we're out there? Simply put, the point is to get the ball in the cup as quickly as possible and enjoy the process. I played a round early this summer, had an awful time, came off the course stressed and feeling bad about my behavior. I was literally hyperventalating over putts. Turns out I scored well. So something was amiss, right? This book has me enjoying the game again. Zen Golf is not a deep and difficult treatise of the deeper meaning of life and golf. It is closer to an instruction manual on how to play better golf and enjoy the game more. It addresses concepts like trust, confidence and positive thinking. I now enjoy those 3-iron punch shots out of the trees. I'm learning to enjoy those 5-footers. Every shot is an opportunity and there's no need for fear or negativity. My "evil caddie" seldom comes around, and when he does, I know what to do. This is simply the best golf book I've ever read.

As an avid, yet struggling golfer I was ready for just about anything that could improve my game, including a lobotomy. Zen Golf was not only straight forward, but incredibly useful. Shortly after reading the book, I went out and "trusting" my swing not only hit a lot of great shots, but actually began having fun again. I enjoyed myself so much that I scheduled a full day lesson with Dr. Parent. Talk about a book brought to life. He was wonderful. Not only was he full of insight and stress relieving approaches, but he was really fun to play with. In the last year or so, I have been shooting a lot of 80's and even some 90's. Employing Dr. Parent's concepts I shot 77 AND had a fun time. I don't dread golf anymore. I highly recommend the book to every golfer looking to play to their full potential and take the hernia out of the game. For those luckier still, I recommend a lesson with Dr. Parent. If you are struggling with your game, either take up tennis or get this book.

The title of my review is somewhat misleading.In fact,I should have written,"ZEN IN THE MARTIAL ARTS is an excellent book for martial artists,all other athletes,Bruce Lee fans,Eastern philosophy/religion buffs,Zen/Taoism practitioners,and casual readers." It must be noted that author Joe Hyams never intended to write a definitive text on Zen as a spiritual practice,or an instructional book on martial arts.Rather,he plays the role of a student;the student of some great teachers. Mr. Hyams learned how to live his life better because of the martial arts and because of the application of Zen in martial arts and everyday life.The anecdotes about Bruce Lee are alone worth the price of the book.Hyams also recounts stories about hapkido expert Master Bong Soo Han,American kempo founder the late Grandmaster Ed Parker,wing chun gung fu master Sifu Jim Lau,and other experts from a wide cross-section of styles.The book also embodies the spirit of Eastern thought,particularly in its discussions of "effortless effort" and "thinking without thought."
Although the book is anecdotal in nature,I do not believe that it is overly simplistic tripe or egomanical name-dropping.Some other reviewers have been unfair in their judgments.Hyams is a sportswriter who is best known for his marriage to actress Elke Sommer.He never was Alan Watts or Bruce Lee,and he never claimed to be.The book is about the application of the theory,not the theory itself.The applications of Zen spirituality and meditation techniques are, in fact, depicted accurately.I have studied eastern thought,personal development, and martial arts for a number of years,and I see no gross inaccuracy.
If anything,there are two glaring omissions in the book.First,Mr.Hyams did not discuss the Christian faith, or the fact that many great martial arts,including some of the late Master Lee's former associates,were/are profound Christians who drew at least as much from Christianity as from Eastern religions.Second,Mr. Hyams fails to mention the complexity of the "chi"(life-force)theory and the profound Chinese science and philosophy underlying it.... Nevertheless,this book is wonderful.As a college-level philosophy instructor,I have allowed students in certain of my classes to write book reviews and term papers based on Hyams' book.That is great praise in and of itself.Yes,a popular tome about Eastern practices by a lay wrtier has been the subject of a term paper in a college course in Western philosophy.Go figure.

First I'd like to address a couple of criticisms that I read here that this book is rather superficial and doesn't get into Zen concepts in depth. That's true, this book is really only an intro to Zen--if you're already knowledgeable then this book will probably be too basic. However, for the beginner there is no better place to start, and as someone else here observed, the quotes from Bruce Lee are almost worth the price of the book by themselves.

Joe Hyams started his karate training back in 1952 with Ed Parker--a full ten years or more before the craze got started in America. He had the opportunity to train with such greats as Bruce Lee, Bong Soo Han, Ed Parker, and Jim Lau from the very beginning. Joe encountered many trials and tribulations, frustrations, and disappointments during his training, but he never gave up. One reason is he often had the opportunity to discuss his problems with the many great teachers he trained under, and they often offered their wisdom and insights to help him through the difficult times. He took that wealth of personal experience and knowledge and put it all into this little book.

Hyams gives a very clear, concise, and easy to understand introduction to Zen in the martial arts. The discussions are often illustrated and liberally peppered with fun anecdotes from his personal experiences with different masters, making this almost a personal journey through the dojos and minds of some of the most famous martial artists of our time. Hyams writes very well (he was a famous Hollywood screenwriter) and so rather than another dry, obscure, Zen philosophy tome, the book sounds more like an intimate conversation with a friend over a glass of wine and dinner. It sounds like he's personally talking right to you.

Hyams touches on so many concepts that I won't try to discuss them much here. But I will mention probably the most important one--which is persistence. Hyams points out that it often isn't the most talented and gifted student that achieves the most in the martial arts--since they often quit the first time they encounter a serious difficulty--since they're so used to everything coming so easy. Rather, it's the person who often has very little going for him physically, and has the patience and perseverance to stick it through to the end.

I'll mention just one other important principle. This relates to the Zen idea of living in the moment, especially when training, but also in everything else one does in life. Don't allow other concerns, however pressing or important, to weigh on your mind and distract you when you're training. Concentrate on living in the present moment and you'll make the most of your training--and of all the other activities in your life. Someone who's always worried about their other concerns can't truly live in the present, and therefore will never truly enjoy or make the most of whatever activity they're engaged in. Part of their mind is always somewhere else. Strive to always live in the now, in the present moment.

Interestingly enough, this idea has been confirmed by modern psychological research. If you have concerns that worry you, don't allow them to bother you to the point where you're thinking about them all the time. The best way to deal with this, it's been found, is to set aside some time each day--they recommend 10, 15, or 20 minutes at most--where, if you need to--go ahead and worry yourself sick about it. Then put it out of your mind and enjoy the rest of your day. Another important thing you can do during this time is to not just worry about everything but to put some constructive thought into how to better deal with your problems. Sometimes you won't have a good idea about how to do that for a while, for days, maybe weeks, but don't let that get you down. Remember the other principle of persistence I mentioned earlier. Stick it through to the end.

Realistically, life is never as bad as it seems to us during our darkest and most depressed moments--nor as wonderful as it seems during our happiest, most ecstatic moments. It's somewhere in between. The point here is that one should also cultivate the proper attitude--since that's often the only thing one has total control over in one's life. If you're the sort of person for whom even little things get you down--which is more of us than we would like to admit--then strive to be more objective. The little things can't really hurt you. They're just annoying psychologically because they bruise our egos a little bit. Save your emotional energy for the really big problems in your life, instead--because there will be more than enough of those. Cultivate a positive, upbeat attitude so that the little things are practically beneath your notice. Let them slide off you like water off a duck's back. This is also another important Zen principle--that too much ego impedes our progress in the martial arts--and our path through life as well.

Well, I've gone on longer than I intended, but this book is so chock full of useful little tidbits of advice that I got a little carried away. So I'll just conclude by reiterating that Hyams has written a great little introduction to Zen concepts as applied to the martial arts. But perhaps even more important is that they can be applied beneficially to every other area of your life.

This book means more to me than probably any other book in my vast collection of books on Zen, Taoism, and martial arts. It is also probably the shortest. My instructor asked me to read it a few years ago when I started teaching Kung Fu, and it completely changed my views on life and the martial arts. Although it helps to be a martial artist, it is surely not needed in order to appreciate this wonderful book about the truths in life. Each little chapter has an outstanding moral that the author was taught eaither by a teacher or by experience. I try and read this at least twice a year. You learn something new every time. HIGHLY recommended. It will change your life for the better.

I am a big fan of Alan Watts. I know of no one else that has the charisma, sense of humor, and intelligence to communicate ideas from Hindu and Buddhist thought. I have read several of his books and while this book is as good as any other- I WARN YOU - it has very little about the beat generation. In fact, there is one ten page essay. It is interesting, but if you are buying this book because you are interested in the beat generation there are more informative books. This book is also a little expensive and is less than one hundred pages. Try "Cloud-Hidden, Whereabouts Unknown" or another one of his cheaper and longer books. Most of them contain similar ideas.

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.

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.

Has zen moments and moments that fail to be zen. It seems like two authors have written the different chapters, one who is a zen master and the other who is Mr Wilson, Dennis the Menace's slightly crabby next door neighbor. For me, it was the contrast in the two personna's that provided the most enlightenment. Very thought provoking. Cannot help but improve your attitude toward the game and your fellow golfer.