Showing Average rating 3. Rating details. More filters. Sort order. Start your review of Zen in the Age of Anxiety. Jun 05, Kate rated it liked it Shelves: arc-netgalley-edelweiss , , helpful-advice , live-your-best-life , memoir , non-fiction-people-places-things , mindfulness. I requested an ARC of this book because I thought it might be useful for my dissertation for which I will be developing a mindfulness class for graduate students to hopefully reduce their stress levels.
I thought this might be a possible reading for the course. It's fine, and I'm rounding down from 3. It's not something I would adopt for my class, though I would recommend it more broadly to people interested in the topic. This book is part memoir, part how-to guide, part historica I requested an ARC of this book because I thought it might be useful for my dissertation for which I will be developing a mindfulness class for graduate students to hopefully reduce their stress levels.
This book is part memoir, part how-to guide, part historical overview. It's the part memoir part that I was not expecting, and as such doesn't lend itself to a course reading assignment. There were things I really liked: the exercises at the end of each chapter seem perfectly feasible and relevant, it's not super "woo woo" to the extent that skeptics would get annoyed by the content of the book, and it's a short, quick read.
The overall message of the book was positive and tangible. Things I didn't like: Some chapters, particularly near the end I think chapter 7? Some of the chapters also felt like they were written by someone else in terms of the flow of the narrative. Chapter two, for example, read like a high school student wrote it.
Every sentence was short and choppy, and for a good portion of the chapter paragraphs started with sentences like "Another example is But the vast majority was fine.
It was just that one chapter that felt out of place, especially coming after an engaging first chapter. And finally, what is up with books being published recently not having a reference list at the end of the book? There were also mentions of research studies throughout the book, but not a single citation. If I were the researchers doing the work he referred to, I'd be pissed. And I am as a reader, because some of the studies were super interesting and I wanted to read them, but he doesn't even give the researcher's name, so I don't know where to start.
Jun 02, Kathy rated it it was amazing Shelves: 5-stars-my-favorites , netgalley , religion , self-improvement , spiritual. Face it, the man has the credentials to teach us, and teach us he does. Looking at our natural human fears through the lens of Zen Buddhism, Burkett takes us into the areas of our deepest pains, and guides us on how to process and release them by looking inward through m Tim Burkett certainly has the qualifications to write about ANYTHING my emphasis ZEN. Looking at our natural human fears through the lens of Zen Buddhism, Burkett takes us into the areas of our deepest pains, and guides us on how to process and release them by looking inward through meditation.
He educates us through parables, quotes, and his own warm-hearted wisdom on how to respond to things that stress us in a different way so that we don't have to continue to feel the high levels of stress, anxiety and unfulfillment that are so prevalent in today's world.
The book consists of ten chapters, each putting forth a different tenet, each of which end with a section called Doing the Work which contains exercises to make the contents of that chapter personal thereby reinforcing the tenet taught. Burkett then finishes with an epilogue discussing the common thread through the various religions of the world. To be given a new way of looking at something, of understanding, is a gift without measure.
Zen in the Age of Anxiety is that gift. It has convinced me to make time in my day for meditation and given me many things to think about. Maybe, someday, I can live as wholly and as happily as Tim Burkett. All things are possible. All opinions here are strictly my own. Jun 19, Janice rated it really liked it. This book has been very helpful in showing me ways to work through these negativities. The author provides very clear suggestions and explains the how and why behind these.
Well-written and useful. Recommended for sure. My thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for my honest review. Jan 06, Sarah Brousseau rated it really liked it.
I always enjoy these kind of reads because they ground me. I almost always have one going for times that I need to wind down and remind myself that so much is out of my control. I appreciated the fact that at the end of every chapter, there was a section to "Do the work", questions to really make you think about what and where you can improve in order for the relationships in your life are more fulfilling. I thoroughly enjoyed the first half of the book, the second part got really religious and in depth with Zen, it was interesting.
Apr 04, Valerie Sherman rated it it was amazing. Gimmicky title, but there are some really good nuggets in here. Excellent practical advice and parables to bend your mind.
Jun 04, Brian rated it really liked it. Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book. Zen in the Age of Anxiety puts forth a bold claim: many salient issues of contemporary western life, surrounding money, sex, failure, death, and a host of other issues. The book present an approach in which these issues are pseudo-issues; in other words, if you accepted Burkett's Zen framework, you would not be troubled by them. A softer reading of the book is that one can incorporate certain elements of Zen in dealing with these speci Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.
A softer reading of the book is that one can incorporate certain elements of Zen in dealing with these specific problems a bottom-up as opposed to top-down incorporation of Zen.. Insofar as the goal of the book was to present tangible solutions to these issues that do not merely dismiss them as problems but present alternative ways of thinking about them, the book succeeds. My biggest issue with the book was the way it did not speak to the skeptical reader in me.
I feel deeply troubled by many of the issues he raised but not money , and I am not persuaded that I can be liberated from them.
The issue of self-hatred was sort of dismissed. Adopting Zen principles does not feel strong enough of a solution to liberate me from them. There is something deeply gripping about them that is missed both by the argumentation, the scientific evidence, and the anecdotal evidence presented by the book. Do I feel changed after reading this book? Not yet. Do I feel challenged? The strongest aspects of the book were the careful treatment of problems I wanted more depth and the anecdotes I wanted more, particular of the author's time with Suzuki Roshi.
The egalitarian coda fell extremely flat for me, as if the author were trying to demonstrate that he was not trying to convert people to another "religion. Overall I would recommend this book. I doubt that reading it will cure anyone of their anxiety, but there are tangible tools presented. View 1 comment. Sep 16, Tyson Adams rated it really liked it. Clear your mind, relax, and read this review.
Zen in the Age of Anxiety is a guidebook and teaching manual that focuses on how to deal with stress, anxiety, and address the underlying mental behaviours that cause them. This was a very interesting book. I originally borrowed a copy from the library because I'd pr Clear your mind, relax, and read this review. Okay, bit of a leap between the two, but Zen teachings have their roots in Buddhism, which in turn has roots in the Dao Tao , something Burkett mentions in passing.
There are a lot of helpful insights and practices in this book that could help most people in their lives. At the very least, it was interesting to read something with such a different perspective on life. My only gripe was a minor one. A lot of practices and philosophies, especially those with "Eastern" origins, tend to be tied up with spiritualism and mysticism. As a result, there tends to be a blending of nonsense both ancient and modern with the good stuff.
As an example, in a later chapter, there is an example given that involves an analogy with how vaccines and homoeopathy work. Except that it incorrectly describes how vaccines work, and incorrectly describes homoeopathy as working at all. So best to use a critical eye when reading. Mar 19, Wrapped Up in Books rated it really liked it.
Lots of valuable information condensed in ten chapters. I appreciated that the intro laid out exactly what to expect in the each chapter so I could get a sense of what I was about to learn. I came into the book as a novice who only occasionally meditates, though I see the value.
After reading, I was motivated to add more meditation into my day. Each chapter follows with an activity to practice and there are interesting quotes throughout the book. My favorite chapter was towards the end when the Lots of valuable information condensed in ten chapters.
My favorite chapter was towards the end when the author discussed brain elasticity. I was given an advanced copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.
Oct 11, Brady rated it really liked it. I'll qualify my review by saying I literally got about 30 pages out from the end, and had to return the book as so many people had it on hold.
What I did read was absolutely fantastic and reiterated a lot of my thoughts on Zen and mindfulness, but also offered very poignant, realistic and modern thoughts on money, sex, psychology, self-awareness among others. An absolute read for anyone querying how such an ancient tradition is applicable to our everyday mindfulness practice, and how an existent I'll qualify my review by saying I literally got about 30 pages out from the end, and had to return the book as so many people had it on hold.
An absolute read for anyone querying how such an ancient tradition is applicable to our everyday mindfulness practice, and how an existentially crushing and liberating philosophy can be our greatest, most welcoming and hardest teacher. May 21, F. This was a nice easy read. Well written, he has a good style of writing that is easily understood. This isn't the best book on Zen or Buddhism that I've read, but there are certainly worse ones. This is in the upper half so far in terms of readability.
I'd recommend this to people doing some serious and semi serious reading but not people looking for an entry to the practice or the philosophy. Enjoyed reading the book.
Book is well structured with a logical flow. Each Chapter has practical stories and examples for reader to be able to embody the content.
Book give value advice on dealing with breakdowns in our daily life, building mindfulness skill and being more aware. Jan 03, Ashley Tanasiychuk rated it liked it. This book offers an approach to life that unlocks a new way of thinking and being in the world, one that leads directly through the center of the anxieties we seek to avoid. Providing wisdom from Zen channeled through his many experiences as a psychotherapist and using language and metaphors from popular culture, he takes anxiety and teaches us to turn those fears into the building blocks of a fulfilling life.
In his books, as in his life, Tim reveals how to live in the world with a deep joy that comes from embracing the work and play of this very moment. Tim is the former CEO of the largest non-profit organization in Minnesota for individuals with mental illness. He and his wife, Linda, have two grownchildren and two grandchildren.
Here is an encouraging handbook on how Buddhist values and practices can increase our sense of connectedness and foster inner—and outer—peace. It includes clear explanations of the power of diligent meditation practice to transform our various human difficulties into clear seeing, equanimity, and ease, followed by practical exercises about how to go about this work. This is a book about the substance and beauty of Zen practice, a book I will happily read and recommend to my own students.
Not only is it wonderfully written, but Tim Burkett, the guiding teacher at the Minneapolis Zendos, speaks eloquently from his deep knowledge of Zen, psychology, and neuroplasticity, which he integrates flawlessly. The work addresses the many dilemmas we encounter both in practice and life itself. This is deeply important, as it is all too easy for practice to become one-sided, skewed, and unwittingly dangerous.
The many dimensions in this book help us not fall into easy answers and potholes of all kinds. The book is a real treasure of wisdom, experience, kindness, and inspiration.
I could not put it down. For Burkett, the Buddhist precepts are gifts, not rules, that frame a wholesome life. Zen in the Age of Anxiety can help nontraditionalists find their way with those gifts in hand. The book explores the paradox of the centered peace of Zen beliefs in the chaos of modernity.
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