Buddha in Your Backpack: Everyday Buddhism for Teens | 
| Author: Franz Metcalf
Publisher: Ulysses Press
Category: Book
List Price: $13.95
Buy New: $7.97
You Save: $5.98 (43%)
New (21) Used (15) from $3.99
Avg. Customer Rating:  8 reviews
Sales Rank: 165922
Media: Paperback
Reading Level: Young Adult
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 160
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 8.2 x 5.5 x 1.3
ISBN: 1569753210
Dewey Decimal Number: 294.3
EAN: 9781569753217
ASIN: 1569753210
Publication Date: November 8, 2002
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Brand new item. Over 4 million customers served. Order now. Selling online since 1995. Order with confidence. Code: B20090105231050T
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Product Description
A guide for navigating the teen years, Buddha in Your Backpack is for young people who want to learn more about Buddhism or for those who simply want to understand whats going on inside themselves and in the world around them. Buddha in Your Backpack tells Buddhas life story in a fashion teens will relate to, describing Buddha as a young rebel not satisfied with the answers of his elders. It then introduces Buddhas core teachings with chapters like "All About Me" and "Been There, Whyd I Do That?" The author presents thoughtful and spiritual insights on school, dating, hanging out, jobs, and other issues of special interest to teens inviting readers to look inside themselves for answers.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 3 more reviews...
 Pretty Good April 25, 2008
I really enjoyed that book. Frank has made the book accessible to anybody who wants to learn more about Buddhism though the focus audience is teens. It starts briefly with the Buddha life then quickly teaches the 4 noble truths and eightfold path. It touches on various topics relevant to anybody and even goes into various Buddhist traditions and sects. It even has chapter on doing meditation and links to other Buddhist websites to get connected into local Sangha. The book is very practical and written in a good humor. The way Buddhism is practiced in US is different from many other parts where it may be the primary religion. Some great Japanese Zen teachers have been instrumental in bringing Buddhism to the current stage of acceptability and growth here. I read another book which talked about "Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism in America". A wonderful book which tells about the way Japanese Immigrants helped spread Buddhism here. The one core concept that is so riveting and draws many people to Buddhism is its insistence on avoiding dukkha. A pretty simple philosophy isn't it ?
I Wish I Had Had This Book as a Teen September 28, 2007
This lovely little book offers all kinds of sound advice to teens in their everyday struggles using Buddhist ethics and principles without being preachy or dogmatic. What teen out there doesn't need to hear that they should accept themselves inspite of what the popular crowd thinks of them or if they're thin or athletic enough and so on? This is more of a self acceptance and self esteem buiding book for teens rather than one that guides them into a geniune Buddhist practice (for that, I would recommend the wonderful "Awakening the Buddha Within" by Lama Surya Das for beginning Buddhists and the simply curious of all ages), but one that even born again parents will feel comfortable giving to their child. A must for children entering into their Middle School to High School years.
 Didn't like the advice on teen sex February 9, 2007
5 out of 24 found this review helpful
The book contains a chapter with advice on teen sex that is written is such a way as to authorize it as okay. It doesn't encourage abstinence as a first choice. And it doesn't provide enough (or any) information on communicable disease. I decided it was not appropriate for my for my 15 year step-daughter as guidance during her first year in high school.
This book is really tight!!! October 13, 2006
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
This book is cool in so many ways. Around the beginning of the book, it tells about the Buddha and what he had done. The whole beginning part is the history of the Buddha. Including how he became the Buddha and who he was before that time. Then the author, around the middle of the book, tells what the Buddha taught. Including forms of meditation. I found this book real helpful in my life. I'm not Buddhist, but after reading this book, every time I get stressed out, I do somewhat of a meditation to get calm again. So if you're into this type of stuff, read this book. br /By: Jakebr /
I can't recommend this enough. September 1, 2006
11 out of 12 found this review helpful
Out of all the "self-help" or advice books I've purchased or been given over the years, Buddha in Your Backpack is the only one I've ever been able to read without cringing, and the first with advice I've tried to apply to my life. The author presents Buddhism not just as a religion but as a set of ideas of which anyone can take advantage.br /br /I'm the sort of person who absolutely hates being preached to, whichever religion happens to be doing it, and I'm pleased to report that Buddha in Your Backpack does none of that. It doesn't need to - one great advantage of Buddhism is that many of its teachings are so practical that they don't need a justification like "do this or our God will smite you." In fact, there's no pressure in the book to treat Buddha as a god, and not every Buddhist does so. br /br /Besides guidance towards the answers of many Big Questions, and advice for life that anyone can appreciate, there is also guidance on practices such as various forms of meditation. Whether or not this sort of thing appeals to you, there is plenty in the book that can positively influence your thinking and perhaps even provide a bit of hope for an otherwise bleak mind.br /br /And the other strength of Buddha in Your Backpack? The tone is nearly flawless, something difficult to pull off for an adult author writing for teenagers. I didn't feel either talked down to or that the author was making too much of an effort to be appealing. He's very straightforward - funny, but blunt and sensible on sensitive issues. Again, he doesn't preach, he advises.br /br /I'll admit that it's difficult to change one's lifestyle based on the advice of any book, but Buddha in Your Backpack is the best motivation I've come across. Whether you're interested in Buddhism as a religion or simply looking for a path in a muddled, confusing and generally difficult world, I can't recommend this book enough. It won't change your life, but it may well inspire you to do just that.br /br /All that, by the way, came from the fingers of a total cynic, so you'd better believe it.
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