Wide Awake: A Buddhist Guide for Teens
- Book Review,
by Diana Winston
From Publishers Weekly
One of the recent trends in Buddhist publishing has been a subtle generation shift: we are now seeing second-generation Buddhists' memoirs as well as introductory books for teenagers and young adults. Into this latter category falls Diana Winston's Wide Awake: A Buddhist Guide for Teens, a well-written and basic primer for Gen-Ys who are asking Big Questions. Introducing concepts such as meditation, enlightenment, metta (lovingkindness), karma, the four noble truths and the eight worldly conditions, Winston writes accessibly but doesn't try overly hard to sound cool or relevant. Teens will appreciate the way she gives the dharma to them straight, while many adults will also benefit from this lucid manual. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Gr. 6-10. Switching between anecdotes of her own journey in Buddhism and advice on how teens can apply the Buddha's teachings to their lives, Winston offers a personal and thoughtful introduction to Buddhist thought and practice. The fundamental tenets of Buddhism are introduced through the lens of adolescence: finding karma at a high-school basketball game or promising that metta (loving-kindness) can free teens from anger toward siblings and parents (a miracle, indeed). Winston frequently quotes from teens she has met in her work at a Buddhist center in California, showing what they have learned from Buddhism on such subjects as skipping school. The writing doesn't rely on slang that will go out of style, but Winston's retellings of Buddhist sutras and stories are delightfully colloquial ("I want to understand life," the Buddha tells his father at one point. "I can't stay cooped up in this castle"), and her celebration of inquisitiveness and doubt will appeal to readers. Give this, along with Franz Metcalf's Buddha in Your Backpack (2002), to spiritual seekers intrigued by Buddhism. John Green
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Book Description
Many of today's teenagers are tired of the pressure to compete and consume-and are looking for a different way to live their lives. This book offers an alternative: the 2,500-year old practice of Buddhism.
Written in a style that will have immediate appeal to young "seekers" and those wanting to understand the ancient teachings, this book addresses such relevant topics as peer pressure, emotional difficulties, stress, fostering peace, and even protecting the environment. For everyone looking for self-help, self-esteem, and self-awareness, this book offers advice on:
€ Discovering truth in a world of hype
€ Finding peace amid the ups and downs of life
€ Accepting ourselves
€ Working with difficult emotions
€ How to meditate
€ Dealing with temptations and making the right decisions about sex and drugs
€ Advice on volunteering, working for peace, and protecting the environment
About the Author
Diana Winston is a fromer Buddhist nun who has been teaching meditation to teenagers in the U.S. and India since 1993. She is also the founder of BASE (Buddhist Alliance for Social Engagement), the nation's first urban Buddhist Peace Corps, and currently serves as associate director of Buddhist Peace Fellowship in Berkeley, CA.
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