Not Quite Nirvana: A Skeptic’s Journey to Mindfulness, by Rachel Neumann

(128 pp., Parallax Press, 2012)

Rachel Neumann, primary editor for Thich Nhat Hanh at Parallax Press, has written a book of her own that provides an easy entry point to mindfulness practice and Buddhist teachings for laypeople. It’s an easy read, but that doesn’t mean it’s short on meaningful content.

Not a Buddhist herself, Neumann began learning about Buddhism and mindfulness after taking the job editing at Parallax ten years ago. She happened to also be a new mother at the time, so her early learnings in this area took place in the unique context of sleep-deprived new parenthood.

Neumann’s storytelling includes lots of humor, as exhibited in this passage from early in the book:

My head was spinning. I thought Buddhism was about making things simple. And somehow, through it all, I was supposed to be paying attention to my breath. Unfortunately, every time I took a deep breath, I thought I might pass out from exhaustion.

Neumann’s book isn’t just funny, though. It’s also full of wisdom and insight—not just for those new to Buddhist thought, but for anyone wanting to explore the intersection of mindfulness and the kind of juggling involved in modern life.

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From the Fall 2012 issue of Inquiring Mind (Vol. 29, No. 1)

Humor, Mindfulness, Secular Practice

Diana K. McLean earned her MFA in Creative Writing from the Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics at Naropa University, a school with deep roots in Buddhism. She is currently working toward her Master of Divinity at Iliff School of Theology in Denver.