By Stephen T. Asma, Ph.D.
[Hampton Roads Publishing, 2009. 162 pages, $15.95 paperback]
Reviewed by Micki Leventhal

Stephen Asma is Columbia’s first Distinguished Scholar and a popular teacher of philosophy and other humanities. He is also an accomplished artist, a mean blues guitarist, and a prolific writer. Like its author, Buddha for Beginners is hard to pigeonhole. Created in the style of a graphic novel, it incorporates sometimes-biting humor with satiric illustrations to both archly critique “new age spirituality” and lucidly explain the core teachings of the Buddha. This revised edition further clarifies the dharma (teachings). Asma contends these ideas are deeply and seriously misunderstood in the West.

In accessible language, Asma recounts the story of the historical Buddha, examines the religious roots of Buddhism, and explains its different cultural and regional manifestations. He importantly contrasts and compares Buddhist philosophy with Hinduism—a religion with which Buddhism is often conflated—and outlines the differences between Theravadan Buddhism and later Mahayana Buddhism (which includes the Zen and Tibetan sects).

Asma tackles some of the most challenging metaphysical knots in the dharma—including reincarnation, karma, the five hindrances, the four noble truths, the eightfold path, the nature of nirvana, and the concept of no-self—in clear, jargon-free language. This is an excellent introduction for beginners and a delightful refresher for the dedicated student or practitioner, serving perhaps to challenge some cherished beliefs. Be warned, however: never one to mince words, Asma takes some potshots at selected schools of Buddhist thought, and there are practitioners out there who will be offended.

Stephen T. Asma is the author of The Gods Drink Whiskey: Stumbling Toward Enlightenment in the Land of the Tattered Buddha (HarperCollins, 2005), Stuffed Animals and Pickled Heads: The Culture and Evolution of Natural History Museums (Oxford University Press, 2001), and the forthcoming On Monsters: A Tour of Fears and Fascinations (Oxford). Visit stephenasma.com.