Stephen T. Asma, PhD, will be the first one to tell you he is not your typical idea of a Buddhist. He thinks gurus are screwballs. He eats meat. He drinks too much. He's not interested in giving up sex. If a guy like him can be a Buddhist, so can you.

In Why I Am a Buddhist, Asma argues the case for Buddhism. He is iconoclastic and unapologetic. Too often he asserts Buddhism is confused with the more faddish elements of California culture. Being a Buddhist does not require extreme vegetarianism, relentless meditation, or a variety of smells and bells.

In seven chapters, Asma presents a hard-headed and thoroughly entertaining case for the Buddhist way. Some of his topics include Buddhism and family life, Buddhism and art, Buddhism and global concerns, and Buddhism and Eros. His take on Buddhism is refreshing and it will make you want to find out more about dharma, karma, and everything in between.

	Contents: Why I Am a Buddhist: No-Nonsense Buddhism with RedMeat and Whiskey
	Introduction	1
I.	A Newly Elevated Status for My Private Little Soul: Discovering Transcendentalism	11
II.	Climbing the "Everest" of Cravings: Buddhism and Eros	33
III.	A Natural Exercise in No-Self: Buddhism and Parenting	59
IV.	Science Is Mysticism - without the Magi cal Thinking	85
V.	Jack Kerouac, Haiku, Charlie Parker, and the Artistic Quest	111
VI.	Work: Wealth and Worth	133
VII.	Dharma and the Global Village	159