Most Zen teachings derive from a monastic tradition far removed from the everyday world. Black robes, shaved heads and traditional monastic rituals reinforce the impression of an austere alternative to everyday life. Yet most Western students of Zen are preoccupied with the same tasks as everyone else – finding sexual and romantic love, a happy family life, a successful career. ‘Everyday Zen’ offers a warm, engaging, uniquely Western approach to using Zen to deal with the problems of ordinary daily living. Charlotte Joko Beck has travelled this path, and through the simplicity of her words she shows that as long as people seek to awaken to themselves and to the immediacy of the moment, the spirit of Zen will appear.