Finding the Heart Sutra

Panoramic … what Kerr does so well as a writer is delve into the smaller details that other scribes overlook … the best books are about the reader, mindful of their wants and needs, while the author remains in the background where he or she can more effectively transmit the story and its meaning. Kerr excels at this, even while telling what is a highly personal story – Amy Chavez * Books on Asia *Compelling, beautiful … Alex Kerr finds humor at the heart of wisdom and enlightenment – J.J. O’Donoghue * Japan Times *Playful and accessible … superb calligraphy … those who loved Kerr’s Lost Japan or his most recent Bangkok Found will remember, as they read this latest offering, the reasons they have enjoyed his work: Kerr’s deep understanding of culture and his refined aesthetic sensibilities, qualities that allow him to capture the world he writes about in a way that is always compelling – Leanne Ogasawara * Kyoto Journal *An erudite and charming book … Alex Kerr delves into the Japanese soul in Finding the Heart Sutra … both a primer and a paean to one of the central texts to Buddhism * Literary Review *

Alex Kerr is an American writer and Japanologist whose previous books include Lost Japan and Another Kyoto. He was the first foreigner to be awarded the Shincho Gakugei Literature Prize for the best work of non-fiction published in Japan.