Zen in the Age of Anxiety

After Carol Monda reads the introduction by the book's editor, narrator Fred Sanders's expert phrasing captures the ideas in this moving audiobook. But too often his tone is that of a warning rather than expressing the author's warmth and optimism. However, his overseriousness fades as the audio progresses and doesn't diminish the author's wisdom about how Zen practice can remedy today's pervasive alienation. Burkette says avoiding authentic relationships is what causes so much of today's fear and angst. We overeat, overachieve, or use people in various ways but don't connect honestly with them. He shows how Zen can help us move from constant anxiety to the joy of accepting ourselves in each moment and working through the friction inevitable in genuine relationships. T.W. � AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine