Customer Reviews

Zen in the Art of Helping (Arkana S)

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This book is two parts professional autobiography, one part Zen and one part politics. The author provides us with concise and direct commentary on a variety of quotes from his bibliography and anecdotes from his career in UK social services, adopting throughout a deeply personal and almost radically anti-professional tone. The political analysis (and we should commend the author for not leaving this out like so many New Age authors) points to ideological kinship with such left authors and thinkers as Ivan Illich, whom the reader should consult if further interested in counter-bureaucratic socialist thought. All in all, there are more powerful and original texts on either of the main points of the book, but it remains a valuable personal account of the nearly impossible task of reconciling an "eastern" mindset with western institutional and social contexts and practices. On a sideline, we are offered a short description of his (single?) enlightenment experience, and a Buddha reference finally illuminates the ending of the wonderful "The Dice Man". What more could one ask?

This book is brilliant and thought provoking. Read the book and let the transforamtion begin.

I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I opened this book. The book is largely an account of the author's lessons as a social worker. The premise of the book is that many seemingful helpful actions are motivated by a person's ego.

The book provides many piercing insights into human nature. The author argues that many people engage in the act of giving in order to feel a sense of righteousness, in order to indulge in the belief that they are somehow improving the situation of others. The author states that this judgement of "I am right, you are wrong" is fuelled by ego and is sometimes harmful to the other party. The book also discusses other important philosophies, such as the ability to relish the present, rather than whittling time away waiting for the next "big event" to happen in life.

Although the content is powerful and provocative, I found the book difficult to read. The author's style is rigid and quite unengaging. The chapters seem logically disconnected and at times the text was difficult to follow. Nevertheless, I think the book contains many powerful messages and is certainly recommended for anyone who believes that they are an altruistic individual.

This short book is beautifully written, with wonderfully clear explanations of concepts from Zen, together with simple, and sometimes painfully honest stories from the author's experience. A lot of hard-won, unconventional wisdom is in these pages. I have read the book several times.