Wonder

An instant classic 12 years in the making: Thich Nhat Hanh's clarion call to restore the power of wonder in daily life

If you have ever wanted to ask a Zen Master about the meaning of life, the universe, and everything, this book is for you.

Philosophy, religion, and science have long grappled with our deepest questions: Who are we? What is life? What is consciousness? Here, published for the first time, are Thich Nhat Hanh’s teachings on Zen, science, and the nature of reality.

Thich Nhat Hanh was a giant in the spiritual world, beloved by millions and best known for bringing mindfulness to the West. Wonder interweaves his chapters with the insights of Brother Phap Linh, a Cambridge-trained mathematician and composer turned monk—and one of his most skeptical students—as he reluctantly faces the loss of his mother, learns how to feel, and discovers depths of experience beyond his purely scientific worldview. Together they take on the hard problem of consciousness, altruism, and free will. What emerges is a powerful meditation on experience, meaning, and the rediscovery of wonder.

Wonder offers a practical pathway towards seeing for ourselves the true nature of reality, reclaiming our deepest intuitions from the authority of measurements and machines. This is a spirituality for our modern age, grounded in the mystery at the heart of the present moment.