This book was recommended to me by someone at a Zen temple as the best single-volume introduction to Zen Buddhism. I was skeptical - an Idiot's Guide? But after reading many Zen Buddhism books, I can say that the book is the most comprehensive introduction to Zen Buddhism you can probably find. It's not really a book to plow through but one to pick and go through the chapters. Domyo Burk - a Zen Buddhist priest in Portland who presents the Zen Studies Podcast - is an excellent teacher who has the ability to make complex topics comprehensible. It really does cover EVERYTHING you could imagine and touches upon nearly every question you might ask about Zen. The only sad part is that this edition has been out of print for a while so you really have to look for Burk's edition.