Zen Computer [Paperback]

Philip Toshio Sudo (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 4, 2001

Anyone who has ever cursed a computer will benefit from "Zen Computer," with its soothing approach to living calmly amid the constant upheavals of new technology. In a simple, easy-to-read style, Philip Toshio Sudo shows how the ancient principles of Zen philosophy apply to the modern science of bits and bytes, helping computer novices and the techno-savvy alike deal with everything from computer crashes to major life changes.

Divided into short, concise chapters, the book includes a user's guide to mindful computing, and features "The Seven Rules of Zen Computer." Quotes from thinkers such as Blaise Pascal, Albert Einstein, and Bill Gates illustrate the links between Western science and Eastern philosophy, making "Zen Computer" accessible to all readers, regardless of their familiarity with Zen.

Filled with Zen stories, samurai maxims, and beautiful artwork that combines Japanese brush painting with digital imagery, "Zen Computer" shows us how the interface between the traditional and technological can be found right here, right now.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Shhh. Quiet. I'm meditating on my computer. You can too. In Zen Computer, Philip Toshio Sudo takes the age-old tradition of meditating on objects from everyday life and upgrades it for the cyberworker. For many people, what is more everyday than a computer? From boot to shutdown, Sudo goes inside the computer and out, utilizing every nuance of computer work as an occasion for meditation. If you feel you're too caught up in the hectic life of the Information Age to do any serious contemplative work, fret no more. Breathe. Ten times. Following the number keys from 1 to 0. At the "%" sign, ask yourself if you're giving 100%. At the "&" symbol, dwell on all things that link us. From economic tool to spiritual tool, Sudo transforms the computer into a constant aid for mindful living. After reading Zen Computer, you'll never look at that plastic box the same way again. --Brian Bruya --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

For those who've been tempted to commit battery against their computer, Sudo proposes a calmer path to coexistence with the machines. He calls forth Zen principles of self-awareness, mindfulness, and balance, and subsumes them beneath funky computerese headings: FAQ, Boot, Install, Mouse, etc. To the un-Zen this seems quaintly ethereal, as if the machine could absorb the user's mental state; but perhaps a brief meditation before turning the box on will lead to a more productive session. For doing so, Sudo advances "Seven Rules of Zen Computer," attractively set off by Japanese characters representing Zen concepts. Illustrated by sayings of Zen masters, the rules, Sudo avers, promote excellence and harmony in the manner of the Japanese tea ceremony. He directs the especial attention of programmers to that ritual, the better to get them to write efficient, bug-free code, out of respect for the user. An off-beat application, err, book that playfully urges a less frantic attitude toward computer use. Gilbert Taylor --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster; 1st edition (September 4, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0684854104
• ISBN-13: 978-0684854106
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #927,773 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Disappointment after reading "Zen Guitar", July 1, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Zen Computer (Hardcover)

I have to disagree with the other reviewers who have posted so far. I didn't like "Zen Computer" at all. This, coming from someone who found Sudo's "Zen Guitar" a very interesting and enlightening book. I have read a lot of books on Zen and have worked with computers extensively for many years. After reading this book, I feel like I haven't learned anything new about either Zen or computers. Or about not letting the occasional difficulties caused by computers to get to me. It seemed like this book couldn't make up its mind: was it a book on Zen set in a computer context, or was it a book on computers set in a Zen context? Perhaps the appropriate answer is "yes". I had anticipated something as least as informative and profound as "Zen Guitar", but that was not the case. Much of what I read seemed trite, even so silly at times I wondered if Sudo was trying to be humorous and I was taking it all too seriously. I strongly recommend "Zen Guitar" instead of "Zen Computer". At least in "Zen Guitar" the principles of Zen more naturally come forth because playing a guitar or any musical instrument is an art, and touches us in deep ways. I believe there can be mystery behind technology and its use, but that didn't come out in "Zen Computer". For anyone wanting to read about *that*, I recommend "Techgnosis" by Erik Davis.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Aint Dead Yet -- ...so many lessons. -- Sudo lives!, July 12, 2002

By 

michael r grimes (Jefferson, MA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Zen Computer (Paperback)

I've been working in and around computer systems and networks for a long time and it still always amazes me how much there is to `take in' when solving any particular issue. I wonder if a well-prepared zen mind is especially suited to success in computer endeavor. The author, Mr. Sudo, possesses both zen sense and computer sense -so sometimes what he says seems like non-sense -until you mull over it (and then you smile!). Ahhh, Zen...

He humbly presents a different way of seeing the computer as tool. Really, I'm sure most of us have not become slave to our PC. Still, how many would think to treat it as a samurai would treat his sword -viewing our daily work as a part of spiritual training!

His presentation of ZC (ZenComputer) strikes a wonderful balance between an overview and a detailed analysis of the marvelous 20th century tool that so many of us take for granted. If you've often thought of your system as a source of frustration or an obstacle in your work path there are many interesting and relaxing side-roads to travel with him. Together, we connect seemingly cold and confusing technological terminology to a warm, beautiful tapestry of Japanese tradition (personal honor, samurai maxims, tea-ceremony, zen mind stories, etc.).

Personally, I feel encouraged to continue my chosen work (systems engineer / consultant) as I listen to someone treat the underpinnings of our daily existence in such thoughtful fashion. And, set in such familiar milieu, I may even have gained some slender ray of zen enlightenment from Mr. Sudo's good work, too!

What a wonderful book!

Quick read... 216 pages. ... easy enough to drop and then pick up again; yet just as easy to devour on a quiet evening in front of the hearth.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Zen Computer and then some., February 11, 2000

By 

Alfred A. Parone Jr. (Gettysburg, Pa.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Zen Computer (Hardcover)

This book, Zen Computer: Mindfulness and the Machine, is written on many levels. It is a guide to a new way to work at a computer terminal. The first level message is to remain cool and "mindful" in order to work more quickly and efficiently. The Seven Principles of Zen Computing in the chapter called "Install" constitue a checklist for knowledge workers and computer programmers in dealing with their daily grind. But the book is much more. In the Zen way Philip Sudo uses the computer person relationship to teach truths both profound and simple. The computer is our new tool that connects us with the outside world much as the Samauri's sword was his tool and connection the world. Written in the idiom for the installation and use of a simple computer application, the book leads us on a journey both pratical and spiritual into the zen of the computer way. I recommend this book for computer users from extreme novice to computer scientists. Its a beautifully easy read with a wealth of wisdom.