Sometimes styled the “guru of calm,” meditation teacher, entrepreneur and frequent author Wilson (The Little Book of Calm
) presents simple techniques to help people enter “the Quiet.” Given the volatility of human emotions and experiences, Wilson says, “Meditation is one of the few sustainable ways of ensuring peace and happiness in life.” The book has, unusually, two tables of contents: Book A explains the benefits of meditation and outlines the basic “quiet” practices—deep, directed and aware—as well as ways to maintain inner calm during daily life (“ongoing”). These are standard meditation techniques without spiritual or religious overlay, useful to those of any faith or none. Wilson's instructions are gentle, clear and encouraging, with helpful charts and references to brain functioning. The shorter Book B, marked by a gray bar at the page edge, extends these practices into the spiritual realm for advanced practitioners, suggesting ways to attain transcendence. Readers who don't share Wilson's metaphysics or find him a bit too sanguine about enlightenment can ignore Book B and focus on the core meditation practices in Book A. (July)
