Customer Reviews

The Reluctant Buddhist: A Personal Look at Buddhism in the Modern World

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Former(?) TV Presenter William Woolard provides a personal insite into the practise of the Buddhism of Nichiren Daishonin in this well written introductory book.

Whilst the book works well on an 'introduction to Buddhism' level, it's really his journey into it, which many will recognise, that makes it such an appealing book.

He explains very clearly, the difference between this and other forms of Buddhism, in that this practise is not an 'other world' practise, but is firmly rooted in daily life and designed to move our lives forward - Highly Recomended.

I heartily recommend this book to anyone remotely interested in Buddhism. If, like me, you are teetering on the edge, then this book will almost certainly help make up your mind.
I have a lot of respect for the author, William Woollard, and it is because he comes from a scientific and Christian background, that I personally can identify with everything he has written.
Previous reviews relating to grammar or the editing, completely miss the point.The book is written in William's unique vernacular, if you have had the pleasure of watching him on "Tomorrows World", then reading this book is like William narrating Buddhism for you.
Thank you William.

A superb book. I must admit a bias as I am a practicing Buddhist, but very much a newbie. The friend of mine who introduced me to the 'practice' of Nichiren Buddhism bought me this book after I had been properly practicing for about 3 months. There was immediately something appealing about Nichiren Buddhism but being a logically minded son of an engineer and an architect myself believing it's more "hippy-ish" elements was a real struggle.
Woollard went through this process (and then some!) himself and explores some of the key and most difficult issues of Nichiren Buddhism; mutual possession, oneness of self and environment, karma, myoho, etc. He does this in such a way that really clarified a few serious stumbling blocks for me. His truly westernised view of the practice and his scientific background make him the perfect person to explain the "mystic law" in way the average reason dominated western mind can deal with.
Admittedly it does have some flaws in editing etc, but it is very well produced compared to some other books on this subject. Buddhists are wonderful passionate people, but not always great writers!
This is a wonderful starting point for anyone interested in the practice of Nichiren Buddhism and should probably be followed up by reading Richard Causton's The Buddha in Daily Life: Introduction to the Buddhism of Nichiren Daishonin, a far more involved explanation of the detail of the practice, and the key phrase nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Only, I read them the other way round!

William Woolard introduces the practice of Nichiren Diashonin Buddhism, explaining it's relevance for the modern age with a practical, yet personal, scientific approach. For me, he addressed many issues I find challenging in a rational and easy to understand manner. The editing is poor, but once the reader can see beyond that to the heart of what is being said, it contributes to the deeply felt, personal experience expressed by Mr Woolard.

I have been practicing Nichiren Buddhism since only recently and I found this book helpful in motivating me to strengthen my faith (and actions!) through my practice. There things from the book about Buddhism that I understand a bit more because they were explained in lay terms.
The author has researched his subject well and is also very useful for anyone interested in Buddhism in general, especially in the first half of the book.
It's a walk through a lovely rose garden, and dwelling too much on the grammar or editing of this book is like focusing too much on the thorns of the roses. If one of the major points of daily Buddhist practice is to help widen your perspective or vision on everything in your environment, then pettiness has no place here.
I am grateful that Woollard occasionally reads selections from his book in the Buddhist Podcast, in order for the listeners - from every corner of the world- to become aware of it. I'll be buying a few copies for my friends .

As a practitioner of Nichiren Buddhism myself, I approached this book with interest, as I am always curious as to how others found this practice, and how it affects their lives. William Woollard is a name with which I am familiar, and I imagined that he would have a scientific approach to life, which is completely opposite to the way I function; another good reason to read this. It was very interesting, and Mr Woollard sets his stall out well. As a personal account of his spiritual journey, I enjoyed it enormously, but the surprising poorness of the grammar made me grind my pedantic teeth throughout. This is a good book much in need of a good sub-editor.

This great down to earth book on William's own journey into Buddhism is now available in Spanish called "El Buddista Reacio".

I do hope that there will be a revised and corrected version of this book. If you can tolerate the irritating punctuation and grammar errors you will find genuine, inspirational content.

The problem with reviewing this book is religion/spiritualism etc is a very personal thing and so what I may consider to be helpful others might not believe in.
This book is interesting but as it only covers one way of Buddhism it may not be for everyone.

I have practised Nichiren Buddhism since 1985 and this book is simply the best one I have read about the practice. It simplifies a complex philosophy in a very warm, eloquent and approachable way. I love the author's initial scepticism about Buddhism (perhaps because I also started chanting to prove it did not work...) and also the way that he openly shares his personal problems (divorce, depression, the downsides of fame) with his reader. My only quibble is that it wasn't proofread properly before publication but other than that, I would heartily recommend it as the best beginner's guide to chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo. If fiction is more your thing, then check out The Buddha, Geoff & Me by Eddy Canfor-Dumas.

David Hare
The Buddhist Life Coach
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