The account of Dinty W. Moore's 1995 "dharma road trip" around America to visit Buddhist meditation centers, retreats and happenings in search of the heart of Buddhism in America is an honest, funny and self-deprecating (he calls himself "the doofus of dokuson") memoir. What is the sound of one toe dipping into enlightenment? ( )

This is not a book about how to be a Buddhist. Instead, this is a man's journey to discover what it means to be Buddhist in America. I liked it. It follows Dinty from his first Buddhist Encounter, to trying to find a way to practice it in America.

I think this will be a good introduction to those who want to know a bit more about Buddhism, without all the deep religion stuff. The story is simply written biography. Its easy to follow, and covers a few ways of Buddhists practice in the United States. ( )

I loved Sarah McDonald's Holy Cow and wanted to find something similar that introduced the various approaches to Buddhism. The Accidental Buddhist did that in part. The author, hoping to discover the many faces of American Buddhism, chronicles his time at retreats ranging from Zen Mountain Monastery in the Catskills to a Tibetan community outside Atlanta and a Theravada community in West Virginia. Along the way he discusses theology with a Jesuit Buddhist, attends the third annual Change Your Mind day in Central Park, visits with a Buddhist meditation cushion maker who runs Carolina Mornings Designs from her rural farm, takes a road trip to hear the Dali Lama speak and drops in on meditation groups in suburban Chicago and Iowa City.

Over the course of his "American Buddhism Project," the author shares his struggles with monkey mind and stiffness from long stretches of meditation. He continually assesses aspects of Buddhism in terms of his Roman Catholic upbringing and aspects of his life (such as releasing ladybugs to control aphids in his garden) in terms of Buddhist tenets. The book focuses perhaps a bit too much on the author's self-chiding and failure to find the big answers, but for someone who doesn't know much about Buddhism as it's practiced in America today, it's an easy-to-read and enjoyable introduction. ( )

Interesting exploration of Buddhism in America. The author describes his experiences in many very different settings. It's hard to be Buddhist in the US. ( )

An interesting look about how Buddhism is finding it's way into American society. ( )