Jon Kabat-Zinn

Very insightful, and with loads of respect for people struggling with depression. They really know their audience. A tad repetitive, but well, that's meditation for you.

The little stories about people trying the techniques got on my nerves a bit, to me they felt like sales pitches instead of examples.

This book has great insights, but is too abstract to start meditation. I hear there's a companion workbook, which I will be checking out.

I'll definitely read this one again, it feels like one of those books you can read again and again and you'll pick up something different each time.… (mere)

This was published in 1994 and so rather than feeling revolutionary, the concepts seem well known. I guess that means it has become a classic and that its influence is huge, spawning many more books and literature on the subject.

It is still a useful book for those wanting to learn how to calm their minds and live in the present moment. The chapters are short and are often followed by an exercise so it is not a quick read.

For me, one of the largest take-away from this book is that meditation should be practiced daily. It is sometimes used as a crises management technique, but it is most effective when one has become familiar and adept at the practice.

Meditation as presented in this book is secular, although it also can be and has been modified into whatever religious practice you choose – ie Christian or Buddhist meditation.… (mere)