Not Quite Nirvana: A Skeptic's Journey to Mindfulness

In the Wake of 9-11, Rachel Neumann, an overextended fast-talking New York writer, left the city to get closer to her West Coast family and the rural commune of her childhood. In Not Quite Nirvana, she shares her journey from skeptical urbanite to personal editor for Zen Master and best-selling author Thich Nhat Hanh. Along the way, she has two children, turns forty, and slowly and reluctantly absorbs mindfulness practice. With humor and deeply personal insights, Neumann transforms ordinary moments into opportunities to find peace and spiritual nourishment. Her intimate stories about friendship, death, vanity, love, anger, politics, and parenting offer inspiration to anyone who has wondered how to live mindfully amidst the turmoil of daily life.