On the Nightstand: How to Relax

Thich Nhat Hanh, the Vietnamese Buddhist monk, died earlier this year at age 95. I had a vague recollection of him meeting with the Trappist monk and writer Thomas Merton during the Vietnam War, but that was about it. But the obituaries about him intrigued me, and I learned that a friend had been on one of his retreats in upstate New York 30-odd years ago.

Then I was at my favorite local bookstore, and saw his How to Relax, and goodness knows I can use help with that. I had to smile when I ...