I highly recommend this book. I'm new to Buddhism and meditation, but have read a number of books on the subject. Paramananda explains meditation in a straightforward manner. More importantly, he clearly illustrates the linkage between meditation, Buddhism, and living a mentally healthy life. I believe that I will return to this book throughout my life.

The Book starts with a personal account as to what meditation can provide. It sounds convinsing very much because it is simple. In deed the Zen like character of the teaching as to how to meditate makes it trully engaging. It is clear to the point, personal and human. There are a lot of books about tecniques and alot of them quite good. But some of them seem too full of the particular brand of Buddhism they come from, so much so that one almost fells as if to meditated one has to become Tibetan or Chinnese.Some others are so much explain in like magical lenguage that the magic of the simple act of meditation goes away. Good books about meditation are few and rare. What must of us need is to get our buts on the cushion and just do it , this books does just that, makes you fell like meditating on that moment.