More than a beginner's guide...

Would you consider the audio edition of Why Buddhism Is True to be better than the print version?

Having purchased and read/listened to both, consider them equal. One caveat: it's not a beginner's guide to Buddhism. Therefore, would suggest others choose the medium best suited for taking in information. In either instance, however, the text flows easily as if having a conversation with a knowledgeable friend about a topic of mutual interest.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Why Buddhism Is True?

Wright's explanation of subjects typically glossed over such as emptiness and non-self stood out for their clarity. Most books on Buddhism cover the basics such as the branches of Buddhism, an explanation of the four noble truths, and the virtues of the eight-fold path. Instead of a general overview, Wright writes about some of the more compelling/provocative areas of secular Buddhism. He does this while integrating both personal experience as well as helpful examples. He then pulls the threads together to demonstrate the importance of understanding these topics and why they are relevant to how we relate to our selves and the world around us.

Have you listened to any of Fred Sanders’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes. Sanders strikes a good tone in conveying the material, though sometimes the emphasis of a line or two may have been different than the author's internal voice while writing.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

If you will give two hours of time for your entertainment, why not invest 20 minutes to an hour a day in meditation to (re)claim your life?

Any additional comments?

Wright commented in the book that one his teachers suggested that writing the book may impede his progress toward enlightenment. Hopefully, this is not so. Ideally, the book, instead, provided reason for him to explore further and record his discoveries along the way, Regardless, he left firm footing for others following a similar path.

Thus, it's easy to recommend this book for someone with a basic to intermediate understanding of Buddhism looking for further reading on the topic from a contemporary, secular point of view. While this sounds like a relatively small group, perhaps so—for now. Just maybe this book will continue to bring this valuable wisdom to a wider audience.

63 people found this helpful

Buddhism lite meets evolutionary biology lite

I am an evolutionary biologist. I am interested in Buddhism. You can certainly make a story about their intersection. But would you use a title like Why Buddhism is True? I understand that it is something of a provocation, but the title recalls the author's childhood as a Southern Baptist, which I am afraid he has in no way transcended. In fact, in various instances when his Christian morality is threatened by his quasi-Buddhism, he picks the former, no reasons given, no questions asked, no insight evident, no self-awareness displayed. His view of human evolution is very simplistic. Although I am no expert, my impression is that the treatment of Buddhism is the same. Interesting as a memoir of what he happens to believe and his struggles to reconcile his varied beliefs.

21 people found this helpful

Best book on Buddhism and Mediation ever written

Would you listen to Why Buddhism Is True again? Why?

I have already listened to it 3 times. Even though the explanations are clear and logical, the book is filled with rich information and paradoxes that you can't just listen to it once and get the full meaning. Just an outstanding book! Kudos to Robert Wright!

What was one of the most memorable moments of Why Buddhism Is True?

Understanding essence and how you need to look at it from a more universal view, i.e. as Einstein did for his Theory of Relativity

16 people found this helpful

Clear Explanation of How the Mind Works

Most books on Buddhism teach you how to drive; this book is like having Click and Clack lift the hood of the car and explain very clearly why the engine works. I think it may be one of the most helpful books I've ever read. The clarity with which emotions are explained is amazing. The author convinced me of the effectiveness of mindfulness. He is always careful to say where the science is uncertain or where the Buddhism is not grounded in science. I think I can now read other Buddhism texts, like the Suttas, with a framework for understanding that I did not have before. The author has a conversational, self-depreciating, and personal style of writing that I like. Narration is good.

95 people found this helpful

Worth some of your time...

Worth some of your time...
The author makes a number of important observations. However, there is also quite a bit of filler to work through.
For example, there are numerous personal anecdotes many of which are rather banal.
So, I think your time would be better spent with essential Buddhist texts. Plus, it seems to me that the more analytical parts of the book are at least partly based on speculation; precisely what the Buddha advised us not to spend time on.
As you can see, the author's argument and presentation left me with mixed feelings.

31 people found this helpful

Not quite what I expected, but good

The author doesn't spend as much time actually scientifically defending Buddhism as he spends explaining the basics of it, but he does it pretty well. Recommend it to people that aren't familiar with the Buddhist concepts

8 people found this helpful

Weak on Science; Okay on Philosophy

I really wanted to like this book but it was not a book I would recommend to people who are looking for a book on Buddhism and Science. I agree with many of the authors' conclusions but is was not compelling and little of what was said was new or interesting. If you are considering a book on the subject of Science and Buddhism, then please consider "The Science of Enlightenment" by Shinzen Young. Shinzen is far more accomplished as a meditator and he is truly gifted in terms of articulation. I also found "Buddha's Brain" by Rick Hanson to be far more interesting in terms of Neuroscience and the benefits of Insight Meditation. The reader was really bland and did not do the book any favors.

51 people found this helpful

So hard to listen to.

Fred Sanders makes it hard to listen to this book. He sounds like a computer program. You could get the same mundane tone from a text-to-speech app. Because of this, I found it hard to concentrate on the books material. Truthfully, this should be reread by another narrator and republished. I am not joking.

38 people found this helpful

Presentation Matters

I'm sure professor Wright is interesting in class or he wouldn't be teaching. The approach is thorough, the theories well researched, but the reader is devoid of emotion. I prefer to have the author read his own work for non-fiction titles because it's not just the words that matter. This is meaningful content and a valuable tool when you are able to use it in life.

11 people found this helpful

I want my credit back

I suffered through the extensive Matrix references because I had expectations that this book would prove meaningful. I should have known from the deliberately controversial title that this would be shovel-lit.

The performance was so flat it was comical. The author tried to be funny at times but the only laughs I got we're at the expense of the performer.

The author used Tara Brach's RAIN acronym as if it was common knowledge and without mentioning her name which was aggravating to me. She is brilliant and hands down better at this topic.

Finally, the author mentioned Kurt Cobain's death and that his band was called Nirvana. He implied that Cobain died because he used drugs to seek a false sense of bliss rather than pursuing Nirvana correctly through intensive and challenging meditation practice. I find this to be exploitative, nonsensical, absolutely baseless, offensive, trite, disrespectful, and ignorant. I am not a big time Nirvana fanboy but I am an intelligent person and I am deeply offended by this passage.

Skip this mess.

4 people found this helpful