First published 1978
Nancy Wilson Ross draws on years of studying Asian religion and art to present Buddhist teachings and Eastern wisdom traditions. The author, who published five novels of contemporary life before turning to spiritual subjects, approaches Buddhism with the eye of someone who lived through decades of cultural change in America. Ross graduated from the University of Oregon in 1924 and studied at the Bauhaus in Germany from 1931 to 1933 before settling in New York. Her early career included the novel Friday to Monday in 1932 and works like Take the Lightning and The Left Hand Is the Dreamer. This book represents the culmination of her shift from fiction writing to exploring Eastern philosophy, offering readers an introduction to Buddhist concepts through the perspective of an American writer who spent years immersing herself in Asian spiritual traditions.
Genres: 20th-century, non-fiction, 21st-century, buddhism, eastern-philosophy, asian-american
Vibes: informative, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: cultural-immersion, spiritual-journey
Setting: Asia, America, Germany
Period: 1920s, 1930s
Hardcover · Simon & Schuster (NYC)