This book first explains the Buddha. Such as how he was raised, to later being enlightened. (He wasn't named with the name Buddha but named with the name Siddhartha.) His parents were told that Siddhartha was either gonna be a spiritual leader or a great ruler and the parents wanted him to be a great ruler. The book then teaches you what Buddhism truly is and how it can help. The book then teaches you how you can use Buddhism with home life, school issues, your body, and more. The book then teaches you the simple truths, the 5 vows, etc. It later teaches you about meditation and, if you want to, it teaches ways to become even more connected to Buddhism.

What I like about this book is it has a lot of every category. From history to meditation. It also had a lot of facts from Buddha's life story that I didn't know about, like how his parents kept him in a life of luxury away from disease and old age. What I like even further in this book is it states that Buddhism is the least religious. There is no god, it really just teaches you morality. The closest you can get to calling part of it religious is when the book tells of ways to practice exercises. (Such as when you're praising Buddha.) The final thing that I like about this book is it tells you how to deal with bullies or jerks. (The book states that most bullies don't want to fight, but they just want to make you feel weak.) ( )

I found it helpful and uplifting, even if I didn't agree entirely with the philosophical basis. ( )

Neutered and random exploration of Buddhism. However, provides some teen-centric applications so an interesting perspective. ( )

This is a fascinating, insightful, useful, and pretty trustworthy book. It begins with historical and philosophical overviews, then proceeds into "practical" chapters on homework, dating, and body image (to name just a few). This is the best part: the book doesn't just give the reader a new internal perspective, it shows the reader how to apply Buddhism to common, everyday problems. The book also recognizes that not everyone's parents or family will be accepting of Buddhism, and gives the reader some strategies for handling the situation. It cautions that not everybody is willing to be similarly awakened by the reader's newfound wisdom, either, and explains that these people must be handled gently, with typical Buddhist compassion. Highly recommended for anyone, teen or not, who wants to know more about Buddhism as a contemporary practice, rather than a historical curiosity. ( )