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Rating: 
Summary: good for students of Tibetan culture, bad for new meditators
Review: I am new to meditation (though somewhat versed in Buddhism), and wanted a clear, understandable, and practical way to get introduced to the subject. I tried some other "intro" and "basics of" books, but they were full of philosophy and/or new age dribble (I wanted technique and fundamental concepts). I'd read some of the Dalai Lama's books on buddhism and appreciated his clarity and style, as well as his ability to bring his topics down to earth. So I thought hey, what better than a lecture by the Dalai Lama to teach me how to meditate. And the endless 5-star recommendations on this site made me even more enthusiastic. Boy was I wrong! This book is a prescribed description of the Lamrim practice. It is full of lenthy prayers and incantations to memorize and recite, various figures from the Tibetan pantheon to exort and pray to, and a litany of rites and rituals to follow. This is great for people wanting to understand specific aspects of Tibetan culture and Tibetan buddhism, but not a useful tool for learning meditation, especially if you are new to the subject or somewhat scientifically (rather than philosophically or religiously) inclined. Further research has led me to "Mindfulness in Plain English" by Gunaratana, and to the Insight Meditation books by Goldstein. Hope these work better.
Rating:
Summary: good for students of Tibetan culture, bad for new meditators
Review: I am new to meditation (though somewhat versed in Buddhism), and wanted a clear, understandable, and practical way to get introduced to the subject. I tried some other "intro" and "basics of" books, but they were full of philosophy and/or new age dribble (I wanted technique and fundamental concepts). I'd read some of the Dalai Lama's books on buddhism and appreciated his clarity and style, as well as his ability to bring his topics down to earth. So I thought hey, what better than a lecture by the Dalai Lama to teach me how to meditate. And the endless 5-star recommendations on this site made me even more enthusiastic. Boy was I wrong! This book is a prescribed description of the Lamrim practice. It is full of lenthy prayers and incantations to memorize and recite, various figures from the Tibetan pantheon to exort and pray to, and a litany of rites and rituals to follow. This is great for people wanting to understand specific aspects of Tibetan culture and Tibetan buddhism, but not a useful tool for learning meditation, especially if you are new to the subject or somewhat scientifically (rather than philosophically or religiously) inclined. Further research has led me to "Mindfulness in Plain English" by Gunaratana, and to the Insight Meditation books by Goldstein. Hope these work better.
Rating: 
Summary: Above all else, BALANCED!
Review: I've read many, many books about meditation, and specifically above the integration of meditation into a Buddhist practice. Most books are either wholely theoretical or entirely practical in a way that fails to convey the depth of meditation in Buddhist tradition.This books walks a fine line, and successfully I think, in dispensing both practical and theoretical knowledge to the reader in a way that enlivens and energizes the practices outlined inside. Well worth a couple of nights worth of study.
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