Zen of Recovery
Author: Mel Ash, Melash Ash
List Price: $15.95
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ISBN: 0874777062
Publisher: J. P. Tarcher (January, 1993)
Sales Rank: 47,760
Average Customer Rating: 3.6 out of 5
Customer Reviews
Rating: 3 out of 5
Not bad
It is possible to get very gung-ho about Mel Ash's ZEN OF RECOVERY. I am not gung-ho about it, but the book does something which no other book I am aware of has achieved, made a sincere and plausible link between 12-step principles and Buddhist principles. Unfortunately, the book's Buddhism is Zen, only one of many different Buddhist paths. Thus the book lacks a certain universalism that I find unfortunate. However, it is well worth reading, if nothing else serving as a jumping-off point for investigating Buddhism (or the Buddha) as one's higher power. Any Buddhist who is in Alcoholics Anonymous or any other 12-step program is well advised to read this book. It will help one get past the bloc that I felt in 12-step programs, which in Western society are predicated upon Christianity or Judaism. ZEN OF RECOVERY reinforced in me the belief that I had a place in 12-step meetings, even though I did not believe in a God as defined in any theistic sense. Aside from the above caveats, this book is a radical step forward in the recovery movement.
Rating: 1 out of 5
Very Disappointing
I was disappointed to discover that this Zen approach to recovery is based on the 12-steps. Although I think this book is well-intentioned, the author tries too hard to fit the tenets of Zen into the rigid 12-step format. It's also totally unnecessary. A good book about Zen can teach anyone all he or she needs to know to quit drinking and attain peace of mind.
Rating: 5 out of 5
A non-religous way to find a Higher Power and recover
I reread "Zen" every few months. It's the perfect companion book to the Basic Text and It Works How and Why.Besides breaking down the 12 steps in a way that's more easily understood, Mel Ash relates each one to Zen. Although 12-step recovery is touted as simple, it isn't for a lot of new people. Coming into the program an Athiest, I had tremendous angst over how I would be able to work the steps and remain free from active addiction. I knew honesty was important but I didn't know how I could be. I was told I needed to find a power greater than myself to restore me to sanity which I thought had to be your God. The Zen of Recovery showed me how to find a "God" of my own understanding. I'm truly grateful to have this book as an ongoing resource as my recovery unfolds.
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