Kornfield does a terrific job of organization and hands-on exercises through out this book. Toward the end it begins to bog down into a very esoteric, difficult to follow discussion on the nature of reality, etc. Kornfield also covertly attempts to set a left wing political agenda by framing traditional liberal arguements in spiritual terms. Nevertheless, this was my first introduction to buddhism and is an excellent gateway to Eastern thought. Overall, it is an excellent guide for the beginner looking for a guide to Eastern forms of meditation. (Kornfield is an American trained as a buddhist monk)