Customer Reviews

Wonderland: The Zen of Alice (Playaway Young Adult)

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If you are interested in Zen but not in drinking green tea, giving up your life's savings, and shaving your head, this is the book for you. Instead of presenting ethereal concepts about enlightenment that seem far off and abstract, this book shows you what Zen applied in real life means--warts and all. Instead of wondering how you could apply the wisdom of 1,000 lotuses in the boardroom or the cubicle, the personal examples in this book will help show you how to access your own wisdom and internal strength to see the deep truth of Zen in whatever context you find yourself. Highly recommended for business people, musicians, artists, techies.

Wonderland reads like one of Doen Silberberg's talks: engaging, provocative, and expressed in clean, fluid prose. With Alice in Wonderland as the riff and the Dharma as the backbone, Silberberg combines classic Zen texts, pop culture, and personal stories into a wholly delightful, lyrical text. The end result is a piercingly direct, fresh presentation of teachings that have been passed down for more than two thousand years.

Tonight I sat outside to finish reading the book, with just enough light coming from a window to read. It's quite warm, and a big storm is blowing in. I paused from my reading when a particularly large gust hit the ancient maple tree and moved towards the towering, fruit-laden apple trees. I put the book down and watched the wind. Wonderland is right here, right now.

This book is a short read if you sit down and plow through it, but slow-down because this book is worth savoring. Silberberg writes with a very organic and flowing style, with one brilliant insight into the nature of reality followed quickly by another angle of approach, another profound truth. Sprinkled throughout with the beautiful twists of Lewis Carroll, this book is not serious but is deeply penetrating at the same time. I found myself pausing frequently to enjoy the comparison between Alice's adventure in Wonderland and Silberberg's simple exposure of our real lives. This book is one to be re-read many times and to be kept on hand for quick reminders of the beauty of the dharma, the wonder of our existence, and the richness of everyday life. Words may only be pointers, but Silberberg has given us great words that have meaning in OUR time and provide a direction for our practice in this country, in this century.

Early in the book, I was struck by the phrase "Bring on the awe. Bring on the eternal. Bring on that which I don't know."

This theme of dropping our mechanical thoughts, beliefs, and fears to embrace the wonder, beauty, and mystery of life is repeated throughout the book.

Silberberg combines classic Zen teachings from the Diamond Sutra and Mumonkan with modern anecdotes and analogies ranging from Kill Bill, beer pong, Happy Meals, and hanging out backstage with Pink Floyd & Andy Warhol during the release of "The Wall" album.

In addition to sharing stories from decades of Zen training under Maezumi Roshi, Daido Roshi, and Genpo Roshi, the author also draws from his experiences as a professional jazz musician, a husband & father, a psychologist, and a competitive martial artist. Through these experiences, the author delivers messages that seem more accessible and relevant to readers like myself who choose a developmental practice in our everyday modern life rather than in a Zen monastery.

I found this book an inspiring and thoroughly enjoyable read. I highly recommend it.

I'm thrilled to share that I believe my teacher, Doen Daniel Silberberg Sensei, has created a piece of Art with his new book. There's one phrase Sensei said in a talk once, "Everybody loves lunch." I've never forgotten this since it always reminds me of my desire to seek pleasure and not pain. If you're looking for some Zen Mind, Life and Heart manna, Sensei offers more than food for thought.

In my opinion, this is truly a masterpiece. Decades of Silberberg's scholarship, teaching, counseling and Zen practice fortify Sensei with invaluable tools. He conveys a fresh, new perspective of classic, Zen philosophy. His work is very original, colorful and also very moving. This book went straight to my heart and I am confident it will go to yours as well.

Sensei weaves the beauty and magic of his own life into stories and themes of the characters who explore and traverse the often mysterious, dangerous and chaotic realm of Wonderland.

This book is sure to please! It's an adventure and it's fun! Give it a try! Maybe you will devour it like I did. :)

what a quick, inspiring read! i really enjoyed my little ride down the rabbit hole from a different "angle". i certainly felt more peaceful and engaged after reading it on a cross country flight.
highly recommended!

I know the book is supposed to be about philosophy and Zen, but honestly I thought there'd be more Alice references. I'm a huge Alice fan and I really thought that this book would make a lot of references and tie Zen and philosophy into how they all relate to Alice. But I felt like the more I read the less Alice references he makes. The book talks a lot about how Zen came into his life and it really felt like I was back in my philosophy class at school. Each chapter makes 2-3 references for a brief moment and then goes off on other tangents. Even having taken one philosophy class I felt this book goes a bit deep into it. I guess I expected it to show the world as Alice sees it, in a simpler child-like way and tying it into how adults can view the real world as such. I was disappointed, but the other reviews seemed to love it, so perhaps I just misunderstood what I was going to read.