At the behest of his sister, Otto Ringling finds himself reluctantly accompanying her guru, an enigmatic Mongolian monk, on a trip through Middle America to their childhood home, introducing his passenger to some American "fun" along the way.

Describes the spiritual journey of one woman from her days as an embittered Black Student Alliance member at Cornell to her days at a Tibetan Buddhist monastery and as a professor of religious studies at Wesleyan.

"The #1 New York Times bestselling author of Beautiful Boy explores the transformation of Jarvis Jay Masters who became one of America's most respected Buddhist practitioners during his two decades in solitary confinement in San Quentin"--

Part "Kitchen Confidential, " part "Cloister Walk, " this highly entertaining book offers a warmhearted account of the author's adventures as a cook at a Buddhist retreat center.

The author shares her spiritual quest journey, commenting on the understanding of faith as a healing refuge which Buddhism defines as a drawing near or a placing of the heart upon.

"Zen student and stunt double Darcy Lott is thrilled to be reunited with her brother Mike, who disappeared twenty years earlier. But her joy at bringing him home to San Francisco turns to fear when she learns that he has become the victim of escalating attacks--and he has no idea who is targeting him. Darcy determines to find out who is after him and why--before the attacks turn deadly. However, when Darcy searches Mike's apartment, a disturbing discovery...

A Buddhist activist who worked to expose human rights abuses by the Chinese government on Tibetan citizens describes his meditation studies, courier work exchanging messages between his teacher and the Dalai Lama, and the loss of faith that is being induced by Tibet's occupiers.

Essays related how the author, who was raised in a conservative Catholica family, went on to study philosophy and become a monk, chronicling his humorous and unconventional experiences in a Zen monastery.