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Lifelong Quest for Peace

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America's preeminent scientist and peace activist Linus Pauling (1901-94) and Daisaku Ikeda have worked for decades in the cause of disarmament, international understanding, and lasting peace. Both are absolute pacifists. A timely publication at a critical juncture in world affairs, this book is the product of their discussions held at Soka University, Los Angeles, in 1987.

While the dialogue spells out their efforts and prescriptions for dealing with the current peace issues, it also relates Pauling's recollections of his childhood, his development as a scientist, and many episodes about his life and the people he has known--Albert Einstein and Robert Oppenheimer among them. This volume gives a broad and personal glimpse of Pauling, recipient of two unshared Nobel Prizes (1954 for chemistry and 1962 for peace).

Dr. Pauling first met Mr. Ikeda in Los Angeles in 1987, then again in 1990 and twice in 1993, before his death in 1994. His son, Linus Pauling, Jr., later recollected his father's pride in their joint publication, as follows: "My father met President Ikeda in his later days and mentioned him to me on many occasions, but I was particularly struck by the fact that in my father's office, at the time I started working there, which was in late 1991, there was a stack of books: the book on peace published by President Ikeda and my father, A Lifelong Quest for Peace. I noticed that my father tended to pass out a copy of this book to distinguished visitors who came to see him, and I think that he had considerable pride in participating with President Ikeda on this book. President Ikeda and my father were complementary in many ways.... My father, coming from his scientific background that dealt with facts and statistics, and President Ikeda with his philosophical training dealing with concepts, managed to come together, bringing these two viewpoints to a mutual understanding, an understanding that lay within each of them."

A Lifelong Quest for Peace, gives the reader an opportunity to become acquainted with Dr. Pauling, who was always active and vocal in his advocacy of responsible and humane progress in science and a superb role model for today's young people, on whose shoulders the problems of the twenty-first century rest.

America's preeminent scientist and peace activist Linus Pauling (1901-94) and Daisaku Ikeda have worked for decades in the cause of disarmament, international understanding, and lasting peace. Both are absolute pacifists. A timely publication at a critical juncture in world affairs, this book is the product of their discussions held at Soka University, Los Angeles, in 1987. While the dialogue spells out their efforts and prescriptions for dealing with the current peace issues, it also relates Pauling's recollections of his childhood, his development as a scientist, and many episodes about his life and the people he has known--Albert Einstein and Robert Oppenheimer among them. This volume gives a broad and personal glimpse of Pauling, recipient of two unshared Nobel Prizes (1954 for chemistry and 1962 for peace).

Dr. Pauling first met Mr. Ikeda in Los Angeles in 1987, then again in 1990 and twice in 1993, before his death in 1994. His son, Linus Pauling, Jr., later recollected his father's pride in their joint publication, as follows: "My father met President Ikeda in his later days and mentioned him to me on many occasions, .........."

A Lifelong Quest for Peace, gives the reader an opportunity to become acquainted with Dr. Pauling, who was always active and vocal in his advocacy of responsible and humane progress in science and a superb role model for today's young people, on whose shoulders the problems of the twenty-first century rest

I read this book after viewing the Soka Gakkai-sponsored Linus Pauling exhibit (see paulingexhibit.org). This book is the long-awaited dialogue between two-time Nobel Prize recipient Dr. Linus Pauling and Soka Gakkai International President Daisaku Ikeda, carried out over three years, covering many interesting subjects. Admirers of Dr. Pauling, especially those with an interest in Buddhism, will be delighted.

Tina Turner is the reason I found this book, and all others by Daisaku Ikeda, president of the Soka Gakkai International. After hearing Tina Turner speak about her Buddhist practice in interviews, and hearing her give credit to Buddhism for her happiness and in life, I decided to look further into it myself.

Tina mentioned Daisaku Ikeda as the person who brought Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism, the practice of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, to America. This is the Buddhist practice to which Tina attributes her spiritual fulfillment and strength. Thanks to Tina's explanations, I was able to locate the Soka Gakkai International and from there I discovered many profound, inspirational and educational writings by Daisaku Ikeda. This book is just one of Mr. Ikeda's many contributions to further the understanding of Buddhist principles and their application in every day life.

I highly recommend that anyone interested in the Buddhist practice of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo read the writings of Daisaku Ikeda to learn more about Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism.

Dr. Linus Pauling, an American scientist and the world's only winner of two unshared Nobel Prizes, talks with Daisaku Ikeda, the Japanese leader of the world's largest lay Buddhist organization about disarmament, international understanding, and the pace of world peace. This is a study of the thinking process of Pauling, who was 91 at the time of the talks, and lively, sharp and energetic.

An East meets West dialogue that is indexed, a rare feature for such books and extremely helpful to biographers of both famous men.

I found this book thought-provoking, interesting and inspiring.

"Lifelong Quest for Peace" is a compellation of dialogues between Nobel Laureate and peace activist Linus Pauling and Soka Gakkai International president Daisaku Ikeda which attempts to proffer insights and attainable solutions to the world's myriad problems. I found Dr. Pauling's contributions to the discussion to be salient and constructive as opposed to Mr. Ikeda, who gives the impression of an evangelical philosopher who has learned to conceal vacuity with pretentious verbage.

Disappointingly, the parameters of discussion in "Lifelong Quest for Peace" are so limited that the indubitable reasons behind global conflicts since World War II are hardly touched upon at all. The reasons being that the whenever the Third World has attempted to break out of its service role (the provision of resources, cheap labour, markets, opportunities for investment and the export of pollution) it has been forcibly put back "into its place" by those countries shouldered with the responsibility of protecting the First World's interests. This truism, which is obstensibly evaded in "Lifelong Quest for Peace" is most adeptly covered in Noam Chomsky's "World Orders, Old and New."

The evasion of the above historical and systemic truism, along with Mr. Ikeda's emasculate contribution, are some of the reasons why, for this reader at least, "Lifelong Quest for Peace" is ineffectual in proffering substantial solutions to the problems it attempts to provide answers to.