Z Books

Most readers who come to this text are, no doubt, overly familiar with the more playful spiritual intensity of Japanese Zen, whether it be through the writings of stoic mountain hermits (say, Dogen); the peripatetic musings of hip flask, sake swilling outcasts (say, Santoka Taneda or Ryokan); the no nonesense monastic types (say, Hakuin); the earthy, gritty advice for living in the modern world (say, DT Suzuki); or even the American literati influences (say, Gary Snyder).

Far fewer readers, however, will be familiar with the logistical organization of Zen temples in Japan. As esteemed Japan expert Edwin O. reischauer writes in the brief preface, "It is ironic that Zen philosophy, which is commonly charaterized as being beyond words, has inspired millions of words in English print, whereas Zen instituions, though vastly important in many aspects of medieval Japanese civilization and in no way beyond description, has drawn so few."

Indeed.

Yet, does a book about the logistical organization of Rinzai's Gozan ("Five Mountain") temples sound boring?

Perhaps. But let me tell you: this text is anything but boring! Author Martin Collcut takes a seemingly mundane subject and delivers a delightfully informative product that will not disappoint even the most discerning reader. Moreover, he neatly ties the development of the temple system into the existing socio-political milieu of Medieval Japan.

Quite frankly, this is a dream book for a Japanese history "otaku" (lit: "buff," or worse, "nerd" or "geek") like myself: clear and detailed but highly readable, unlike so many other academic texts.

Lastly, I do not think you need to have too much knowledge of Japanese history or even Buddhism for that matter, as Collcutt does a great job of keeping the reader informed and up to date. Roughly speaking, there are three main branches of Zen in Japan: Rinzai (founded by Eisai), Soto (Dogen), and the lesser known Obaku (imported by Chinese monks in the Tokugawa Era). This book, of course, focuses on how the first, Rinzai Zen, which mirrored the organization of its "five mountain temples" on the Chinese model (and literally had main temples on five mountain sites).

Though this book is full of details, it exceedingly engrossing at every turn. I wish I could give it 10 stars.

Buy it today!

Not everyone wants to explore the history of Rinzai Zen as an Institution - but, if you do, Martin Collcutt's study is a veritable treasure trove. Potted within its pages (382, excluding the index and bibliography), you will find fascinating references to just about everything of significance concerning the formation of the 'Gozan' or 'Five Mountain System' - its precedents in Sung China, its patrons and supporters in Japan, the temple builders, key figures, secular and religious, all the regulations, and all the myriad processes involved in the maintenance of these inter-linked temple complexes.

Even at their best, studies like this can be tedious, in places, but this well informed account is never dry. It explores macrocosmic factors, and surveys microcosmic details. Collcutt conveys an almost organic picture of the entire complex of processes - social, technical,human and spiritual - which brought the 'Gozan' system into being and made it a living entity. While all of this was ultimately directed to one end - the spiritual life nurtured in the Sodo or monks hall, Collcutt's study makes us keenly aware of the managerial and administrative skills required to run such large complexes. Rather like their equivalent in medieval or late medieval Europe, these monastic institutions virtually became thriving 'businesses'- running large landed estates, even employing hired labour. Beating the Medici family to the game by several centuries, the Chinese Buddhists were the first people to print paper money - and lend it at interest. As with the European monastic institutions, corruption and worldliness sometimes took over. Similar traits sometimes characterised life in the Japanese temples. Collcutt's study can be statistical in places, but this is always tempered by the human interest - the notable figures and events which have shaped life in these temples. It details the virtues, vices and the vicissitudes, which have left their mark upon the Gozan system.

You don't have to remember the 60's to be captivated by the twists of this book. A great read.

a unique story line with a lot of twists and turns that merges the modern american time with the sixties in a traumatizing way. fast read, very hard to put down.

This is one amazing story about the strength of love.

This is the true story of a young man who took his horse with him when he enlisted in the Union Army during the Civil War. Based on transcripts passed through his family and contemporary accounts researched by the author. The book is written as a children's book, but is so well done it can be enjoyed by anyone.

Kudos to Bridgette Savage for helping to bring to life a story that should be heard. You will not be disappointed in this book; I purchased several for family and friends. An absolutely wonderful little book.

Mrs. Savage did a wonderful job bringing the story of Fly and George to life. It is hard to believe all that these two went through fighting in the Civil War. I would never have known about Fly if Mrs. Savage had not written the story. This story is for all ages!

This book contains a great list of places to stay and eat with prices. Some of my favorite sections of book include the following: Listing of Best Unspoiled Small Towns, which include Kodiak, Petersburg, and Cordova; Listing of Strange Comunity Events which include Cordova's Ice Worm Festival, Fairbanks' Midnight Sun Baseball Game nad Nomes Polar Bear Swim/Bathtub Race. If you are going to Alaska's number 1 destination, Denali National Park, make sure you pick up a copy of Discovering Denali.

I was planning a cruise to Alaska. I chose "Fodor's 2001 Alaska" as a guidebook and was so impressed, I purchased two more of them for my cruise travelmates. This book went with me wherever I traveled in the "land of the midnight sun". Not only did Fodor's guidebook describe the cruise ships to the inth, but all of the activities, etc. Every bit of the text was accurate to my experiences. This was my first cruise, and my first trip to Alaska. I found this book to be indispensible! The data on Alaska, the facts, the figures, the special places to see, things to do, walks, hikes, eats, animals, and people...all here in crisp detail for you to enjoy. Upon my return to the "lower 48", I even narrated my Alaska photo albums with information I retrieved from this book. History, indiginous peoples, it's all here. Do get this book if you are thinking of going to Alaska, or returning to Alaska. All text is up to date, with maps, etc. Excellent resource! From the Inside Passage to Denali National Park I traveled, and I learned much more about this great land we call Alaska because of Fodor's book. I am now planning on going back to this beautiful place in great part due to reading this guidebook.

I'm the guy who updated and revised the Belize section of this new Fodor's guide. Some things have changed since the book went to press. I'll be glad to try to answer questions about Belize if you'll e-mail me at bzefirst@aol.com.

--Lan Sluder

I'm the guy who updated and revised the Belize section of this new Fodor's guide. Some things have changed since the book went to press. I'll be glad to try to answer questions about Belize if you'll e-mail me at bzefirst@aol.com.

--Lan Sluder

This book was our Bible in Bermuda on our honeymoon! For the most part this guide was right on the mark. Some of the restaurant reviews were off (The Shepards Pie at the Swizzle Inn is little more than chilli with mashed potatoes on top, and jackets really weren't required for men at dinner anywhere we dined over the week) but for the most part it was very helpful.

Amazon's synopsis is right on. The book is thorough, concise. Covers every aspect of planning your trip, then is a constant companion while you're there--restaurant recommendations, sightseeing guide, good maps, guidance on finding the best beaches.

I disagreed only with Fodor's take on the dress code. Guys, you don't really have to wear Bermuda shorts if you prefer other styles. And you won't feel bad without a tie in the nicer restaurants. I saw a lot of mixed-dressing couples (no, not cross dressing!)--she's wearing a nice dress and he's in shorts and loafers without socks.

I found it helpful in selecting my hotel to look at lush color photos available on the Web (always lacking in guide books due to cost and space).

Finally, as always, Amazon will get your book to you real fast.

What a beautiful city, full of spectacular buildings, cobblestone roads, gorgeous old windows, intricate doors, huge fountains, endless shopping, wonderful food & warm & friendly Italians! Unfortunately our trip to Rome coincided with the Pope's illness & subsequent death (while we were in Rome!), therefore we had no access to the Vatican. But it sure is stunning from outside.

We had no problem finding English speaking Italians in Rome, especially in hotels, restaurants & shops. This book successfully guided us to the Trevi Fountain, Colosseum, Basilica & the Pantheon, just to name a few of our stops. We had a rental car, but parked it & made our way by foot & by taxi. Driving in Rome is scarier than driving in Manhattan, especially with all of the mopeds turning in many directions at the same time!

This book made our days in Rome enjoyable, the restaurants suggested were all great. My husband fell in love with gelato, so we ended our days at different gelato counters. I fell in love with my daily cappucinos & pana cotta! I am not a coffee drinker, but went through cappucino withdrawls when I got home. I am now a pro at making pana cotta, oh it's divine!

The road side vendors are peddling some of the best proscuitto & rocket paninni sandwiches I had in Italy! I still think about those $2 sandwiches a year later! : )

If you're planning a trip to Rome you must get this book to guide you. My husband & I talk continuously about going back again very soon.

I've been to Italy several times.....Rome, Venice, Florence, Bologna, Milan, some of the hill towns, etc. Here are my reviews of the best guides to meet you r exact needs.....I hope these are helpful and that you have a great visit! I always gauge the quality of my visit by how much I remember a year later......this review is designed to help you get the guide that will be sure YOU remember your trip many years into the future. Travel Safe and enjoy yourself to the max!

Fodor's
Fodor's is the best selling guide among Americans. They have a bewildering array of different guides. Here's which is what:
The Gold Guide is the main book with good reviews of everything and lots of tours, walks, and just about everything else you could think of. It's not called the Gold guide for nothing though....it assumes you have money and are willing to spend it.
SeeIt! is a concise guide that extracts the most popular items from the Gold Guide
PocketGuide is designed for a quick first visit
UpCLOSE for independent travel that is cheap and well thought out
CityPack is a plastic pocket map with some guide information
Exploring is for cultural interests, lots of photos and designed to supplement the Gold guide

Rick Steves' books are not recommended. They may be an interesting read but their helpfulness is very poor. They don't do well on updates, transportation details, or anything but the first-time-tourist routine and even that is somewhat superficial on anything but the mega-major sites.

Frommer's
These are time tested guides that pride themselves on being updated annually. Although I think the guides below provide information that is in more depth or more concise (depending on what the guide is known for), if your main concern is that the guide has very little old or outdated information, then this would be a good guide for you.

Lonely Planet
Lonely Planet has City and Out To Eat Guides. They are all about the experience so they focus on doing, being, getting there, and this means they have the best detailed information, including both inexpensive and really spectacular restaurants and hotels, out-of-the-way places, weird things to see and do, the list is endless.

Blue Guides
Without doubt, the best of the walks guides.... the Blue Guide has been around since 1918 and has extremely well designed walks with lots of unique little side stops to hit on just about any interest you have. If you want to pick up the feel of the city, this is the best book to do that for you. This is one that you end up packing on your 10th trip, by which time it is well worn.

MapGuide
MapGuide is very easy to use and has the best location information for hotels, tourist attractions, museums, churches etc. that they manage to keep fairly up to date. It's great for teaching you how to use the public transportation system. The text sections are quick overviews, not reviews, but the strong suite here is brevity, not depth. I strongly recommend this for your first few times learning your way around the classic tourist sites and experiences. MapGuide is excellent as long as you are staying pretty much in the center of the city.

Time Out
The Time Out guides are very good. Easy reading, short reviews of restaurants, hotels, and other sites, with good public transport maps that go beyond the city centre. Many people who buy more than one guidebook end up liking this one best!

Let's Go
Let's Go is a great guide series that specializes in the niche interest details that turn a trip into a great and memorable experience. Started by and for college students, these guides are famous for the details provided by people who used the book the previous year. They continue to focus on providing a great experience inexpensively. If you want to know about the top restaurants, this is not for you (use Fodor's or Michelin). Let's Go does have a bewildering array of different guides though. Here's which is what:
Budget Guide is the main guide with incredibly detailed information and reviews on everything you can think of.
City Guide is just as intense but restricted to the single city.
PocketGuide is even smaller and features condensed information
MapGuide's are very good maps with public transportation and some other information (like museum hours, etc.)

Michelin
Famous for their quality reviews, the Red Michelin Guides are for hotels & Restaurants, the Green Michelin Guides are for main tourist destinations. However, the English language Green guide is the one most people use and it has now been supplemented with hotel and restaurant information. These are the serious review guides as the famous Michelin ratings are issued via these books.

everyone in our house loves this book. Fun for the kids...AND informative for the adults. GREAT for any collection!!!

This book was really neat! Any NASCAR fan of any age will enjoy this book!

this book is truly what the subtitle says "coping with adversity". each chapter deals with a different problem and takes less than 5 minutes to read.I especially liked the one on anxiety,- set aside 5 min. for active worry. When anxious thoughts come, just set them aside for your 5 min. time of active worry. Also good chapter on GRIEF.
SMALL BOOK EASY TO CARRY IN PURSE OR POCKET.

The author captured most human feelings in one book. When problems and questions arise, the answer is probably in this little book.

Whether you're interested in WWII or not you'll love this book. Wonderfully written, this emotional tale of love under the most dire circumstances is sure to make you laugh, cry, feel. Margaret and Jerry Sams are an inspiration to all. And even at 90 their love is still as strong as ever.

This very interesting autobiography is the story of a conventional young American housewife who becomes separated from her husband in the chaos of the Philippines of 1942 and is imprisoned with her young son in a brutal Japanese internment camp. In her struggle for survival she meets and falls in love with a fellow prisoner, whose child she bears, at great risk, and in the face of opposition from fellow inmates and captors alike.
Sams' story, expertly and sensitively edited, is a frank and touching love story as well as an epic of survival, and will be of interest to students of 20th-century American culture and mores as well as WWII readers.

(The "score" rating is an unfortunately ineradicable feature of the page. This reviewer does not "score" books.)