One Blade of Grass

Book excerpt: One man’s “beautifully written . . . hilariously funny” memoir of how the practices and wisdom of Zen helped him recover from longtime mental health struggles (Natalie Goldberg, author of Writing Down the Bones) One Blade of Grass tells the story of how meditation practice helped Henry Shukman to recover from the depression, anxiety, and chronic eczema he had since childhood and to integrate a sudden spiritual awakening into his life. By turns humorous and moving, this beautifully written memoir demystifies Zen training, casting its profound insights in simple, lucid language, and takes the reader on a journey of their own, into the hidden treasures of life that contemplative practice can reveal to any of us.