Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by kittybetty
Zen and the Art of Saving the Planet by Thích Nhất Hạnh
5.0
Hanh's writings relevant to conservation and climate action are compiled here and connected with commentaries by True Dedication. Maybe not as cohesive and concise as the books he wrote on his own, this has the advantage of an additional viewpoint, in Dedication's reflections and recollections as Hahn's student and former assistant. That gives a little behind-the-scenes feel to the book, and a charming view of the teacher as one of those close to him saw him.
Read for the audio edition by True Dedication herself in her own sections of the writing, with Edoardo Ballerini narrating the writings of Hahn, the audiobook also includes a bonus which, due to inferior sound quality, isn't easy to listen to, but it's a treat--hearing Hanh's own voice. For the main body of the book, Ballerini's narration, clearly recorded, provides a smooth and gentle voice for the gentle words of the Zen master, and TD's voice is likewise clear and engaging.
Sorry my review is going around and around its points. That's kinda how I felt reading the book. It wrote around and around the title point, and halfway through I felt a little frustrated. Was the Art of Saving the Planet going to amount to indulging oneself in serene moments while the suffering elsewhere escalates? But those serene moments build, to the ability to act when action is needed, to teach and lead where that's appropriate, and to build community that transcends opinion or division and might in fact help save the planet. And anyway it's not a science. It's an art.
Read for the audio edition by True Dedication herself in her own sections of the writing, with Edoardo Ballerini narrating the writings of Hahn, the audiobook also includes a bonus which, due to inferior sound quality, isn't easy to listen to, but it's a treat--hearing Hanh's own voice. For the main body of the book, Ballerini's narration, clearly recorded, provides a smooth and gentle voice for the gentle words of the Zen master, and TD's voice is likewise clear and engaging.
Sorry my review is going around and around its points. That's kinda how I felt reading the book. It wrote around and around the title point, and halfway through I felt a little frustrated. Was the Art of Saving the Planet going to amount to indulging oneself in serene moments while the suffering elsewhere escalates? But those serene moments build, to the ability to act when action is needed, to teach and lead where that's appropriate, and to build community that transcends opinion or division and might in fact help save the planet. And anyway it's not a science. It's an art.