i was introduced to this author's works during a zen class at my university, and this book spoke to me more than anything else i learned that semester. i don't think it matters whether or not you subscribe to a particular belief system for you to enjoy this book. i convinced my presbyterian mom to read it on a plane trip we took and she liked it, which is saying something. it's a collection of peace talks given during the vietnam war. "it changed my life" is thrown around too much...but it made a deep imprint on mine at least. it made more sense to me than anything had in a long time.