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Considering the huge number of books that beloved Buddhist master Thich Nhat Hanh has put out, we really need a "best of" collection. Here we have it, in Thich Nhat Hanh: Essential Writings, which brings together snippets from Nhat Hanh's...(more) poetry, his Christian-Buddhist dialogues, his introductions to Buddhist sutras, and of course, his own well-spoken takes on core Buddhist ideas. If there is one word that sums up Nhat Hahn's Buddhism, it is "interbeing," the name he gave to his own monastic order. Being fully present in the moment is mindfulness, and interdependence tells how all things are intimately connected, the understanding of which encourages us to engage the world at every moment. Sister Annabel Laity, a master in her own right who has received transmission from Nhat Hanh, provides a brief but illuminating biography of Nhat Hanh for this collection, along with insightful introductions to each of the chapters. Themes that order the chapters are those that run through all of Nhat Hahn's teachings: mindfulness, compassion, delicate attention to detail, patience, and forgiveness. For those interested in this Zen monk's life and works, Essential Writings is essential reading. --Brian Bruya(less)