“Crooked Cucumber: The Life and Zen Teaching Shunryu Suzuki” by David Chadwick‍

“Crooked Cucumber: The Life and Zen Teaching Shunryu Suzuki” by David Chadwick • Hardcover • Broadway, First Edition, 1999 • 448 Pages ——————— Since the publication of the landmark Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind 25 years ago, the influence of Shunryu Suzuki has grown extensively. His followers have long hungered for a full portrait of this extraordinary individual. David Chadwick, who studied with Suzuki at the San Francisco Zen Center from 1966 until Suzuki's death in 1971, has interviewed his mentor's family, friends, and disciples and was granted full access to Japanese and American archives. Crooked Cucumber begins with Suzuki's earliest days in Japan, where his teacher nicknamed him "Crooked Cucumber," claiming Suzuki was too absent-minded and dim-witted to ever become a successful priest. Chadwick follows Suzuki through his new life in San Francisco amid the cultural upheaval of the '60s, creating a context for his refreshing and profound teaching. Brief, illuminating chapters, with previously unpublished lecture quotes, convey the down-to-earth message of a man who continues to transform countless lives. ————————————————————————— REVIEWS "Suzuki left a lasting legacy as the man who introduced the spiritual discipline of Zen to the West . . . and Crooked Cucumber affords a wonderful opportunity to meet him." --Los Angeles Times "A generous glimpse of the humanity and message of one of the great spiritual teachers of the modern world." --Publishers Weekly