Here is a list of books that are especially accessible for beginners. Most of these books are available through San Francisco Zen Center’s Online Store or can be ordered through the Zen Center Bookstore.
Shunryu Suzuki, Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind
Robert Aitken, Taking the Path of Zen
Samuel Bercholz and Sherab Chodzin Kohn, Entering the Stream
Gil Fronsdal, The Issue at Hand
Joseph Goldstein, The Path of Insight Meditation
Ayya Khema, Being Nobody, Going Nowhere
Jack Kornfield, A Path with Heart
Daido Loori, The Still Point
Kathleen McDonald, How to Meditate
Taizan Maezumi, Appreciate Your Life
Zenju Earthlyn Manuel
Tell Me Something About Buddhism
The Way of Tenderness
Walpola Rahula, What the Buddha Taught
Hammalawa Saddhatissa, Buddhist Ethics
Jean Smith, Breath Sweeps Mind
Larry Yang, Awakening Together: The Spiritual Practice of Inclusivity and Community
Dainin Katagiri
Returning to Silence
You Have to Say Something
Thich Nhat Hanh
Being Peace
The Heart of the Buddha’s Teaching
The Long Road Turns to Joy
Miracle of Mindfulness
Pema Chodron
Start Where You Are
When Things Fall Apart
The Wisdom of No Escape
Chogyam Trungpa
Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism
Meditation in Action
The Myth of Freedom