Rating: 
Summary: No nonsense Zen for the rest of us
Review: If you are an academic who studies Buddhism in school, don't read this book. If you can name the many Tibetan Buddhist deities, don't read this book. If you are a fan of Ken Wilbur or any of those "deep" thinkers, you better not read this book. If you want to read prose that will uplift you and make you feel better about your day, definitely don't read this book. Brad Warner, however, speaks to the rest of us who want to know a little about Zen without the scholarly window-dressing or the intricate pronouncements of the "big" thinkers. This dressing-down of Zen may be--dare I say it--the only appropriate approach to Zen. You see, Warner understands the absurdity of trying to describe something that can only truly be understood through practice and experience. This explains Warner's profane and iconoclastic approach, and why he never seems to take himself too seriously. Ultimately, he doesn't want anyone to become attached to what he says or what anyone else says about Zen. It's very difficult, indeed, to become attached to his words when he declares that he wants to be reincarnated as Lucy Liu's panties. Those of you who are enamoured by big, profound prose will definitely feel you've been cheated by this book or you've been fooled by a charlatan--but you will have missed the point entirely.
Rating: 
Summary: Hardcore and down to earth Zen.
Review: One of the best. Mr. Warner says what we've heard time and again. And yet he says it in a way that's relavent to the times, current and fresh, not the 60's, not the 12th century, not 2500 years ago.
If you like his writing, visit his site: http://www2.gol.com/users/doubtboy/index.html
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting, but
Review: The author had several excellent points. And relating his life in Zen to punk rock and monster movies was a good read. However, the one thing that he did really did wrong was to call some people with opposing beliefs "stupid." He did this on several occasions in the text. That goes against Buddhism to the core. Buddhism is compatible with all other religions and can be used in conjunction with other religious practices. To call someone "stupid" because of the way they do or don't believe in reincarnation is unacceptable. He needs to meditate a little more on that topic and maybe do a rewrite.
Rating:
Summary: not the usual 'inspirational' nonsense
Review: the best thing about this book is that mr. warner knows what it is like to read 'spiritual' books--he knows that most of them are full of meaningless feel-good nonsense. hardcore zen acknowledges that the hardest concepts (like "emptiness is form, form is emptiness") will make most of us say "huh?" and if it doesn't, there is something wrong with you. warner does not expect you to swallow his "truths" but he does make a convincing argument that if you stick with your own quest for it, you will find something, you will find 'it'. at the very least, you will stop feeling guilty for your "authority issues" and find some peace in living your life now, in this "paradise", rather than agonizing,wishing, hoping and waiting for the "better" one that can not & will never be. i cannot do this book justice here, but i highly recommend it to everyone who normally gags at the sight of new age spiritual books.
Rating:
Summary: What a Terrific Book
Review: This book is highly engaging for the reader, giving a perspective on Zen practice from a fresh standpoint. Looking at the books cover, one might think it may not have much to offer them in terms of spiritual practice. Nothing can be further from the truth. This book is a memoir of Brad Warner's life growing up in the punk rock scene, where he encountered the rich wisdom of Zen Buddhism. Currently, Brad is making what one could I suppose dub punk rock music. The fact that Wisdom Publications published this book let's you know from the start it isn't going to be garbage. Below I'd like to give you an excerpt from this book, to give you an idea of the good things to come: "In spite of their talk about anarchy and "no rules" the punks quickly developed a very rigid set of rules of their own. Anarchy was just a symbol, a cool-looking letter "A" inside a circle. Big deal. Real anarchy has to come from deep within. Real anarchy isn't immoral or amoral; it's intensely moral. A pseudo-anarchist spray paints a letter "A" in a circle on the side of a government building "to make a point." A true anarchist understands that action in the present moment is what really matters and lives his life accordingly. Painting letters on buildings doesn't accomplish anything except giving the poor grunts who do the building maintenance some extra work. No one's going to see the letter "A" and decide he wants to learn about the philosophy of anarchy. Questioning society's values is a great and important thing to do. But that's easy compared to questioning your own values. Questioning your own values means really questioning yourself, really looking at what you believe and who you are. Who are you? That's where Buddhism comes into the picture. Stay tuned." I hope this gives a general idea of how wonderful this book truly is. Here lies a text that can bridge the gap of social barriers, helping so many caught in a lost cause to find meaning in their lives. I am not saying that punk rockers and anarchists are all lost in their lives, but I think that a good portion of them could be. The wonderful thing about this is that it's not just for punk rockers, or any specific group really. Because it's about life, about spirituality and growing. Enjoy it.
Rating:
Summary: Great biographical look at Zen
Review: This book really brings Zen alive. Through telling the story of his introduction to Zen, his life, and his practice, Brad truly encourages people to practice. The concrete details of his experiences (for example, his first retreat in Japan) tell the true story of what Zen is about. His constant emphasis on the importance of practice makes this more than just an interesting read -- it makes Hardcore Zen a book that encourages me to practice more in my daily life. Following up at the end with a section on how to practice makes this a great first book, in addition to a book that's inspirational for people who are already practicing.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: While I would have edited out/expanded the Ken Wilbur critique -- felt tacked on and why not include others Warner has a beef with, including those who have physically and financially messed with their students? -- I found this to be a terrific book.
Great references, uplifting attitude. Really, really good.
Rating:
Summary: Worthwhile
Review: You'd think that by combining punk, monster movies and zen that Brad Warner would've niched himself into a tiny corner, but I think this book should be of interest to everyone interested in zen. I personally think that it's one of the more worthwhile contemporary books on zen (a lot of them aren't). Warner plucks the good stuff out of all the spacey nonsense and grounds zen (where it should be) in the real world. It's a quick, entertaining read, and I'll pick it up every now and then when I need to motivate myself to practice zazen.
| 
