WHO: A student of Buddhism for 40 years, Gary Gach (prounounced like "Bach" or "clock") is a generalist who explains not only Buddhism but also its applications in all walks of life. Plain-spoken, and witty, Gach is available for ink or broadcast interview, and as a dynamic, inspirational speaker. Amazon.com has said, "Gary Gach is like that teacher you always wanted ~~~ easygoing, full of information, able to communicate in humorous and meaningful ways, and a little bit wacky .... brings it all together with a light touch and an enthusiasm that makes you want to get up and do something Buddhist." He currently teaches Buddhism at Stanford Continuing Studies (3rd term), and bringing "The Art of Happiness" there soon.
His online CV includes his 40 broadcast media appearances to over 15 million people.

WHAT: Complete Idiot's Guides ® have been phenomenally successful at bringing a wealth of know-how to the layperson. Of all the series' titles in religion, this has been one of the most successful. Relatively recent strong interest in books on Buddhism have influenced the acceptance of Buddhism in the West, especially such bestsellers as Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind; The Book of Living and Dying; The Art of Happiness; and now comes The Complete Idiot's Guide to Understanding Buddhism (+100,000 copies sold to date). (And did you know? movable type for printing books was invented 400 years before Gutenberg ... for Buddhism.)

HOW: Gach weds the highly-organized format of the Complete Idiot's Guides to the systematic, comprehensive approach of the Buddha ~~ geared for layperson and dept alike, and with the series' trademark dash of levity.
It's a two-fer: (1) living Buddhism (sections on Buddha, the teacher; Dharma, the teachings; and Sangha, the practice); and (2) Buddhist living (the second half of the book treating applications in daily life, in personal relations, family, food, work, the arts, and society and politics). This is the first book to really explain what all Buddhists believe, encompassing Insight Meditation (Vipassana), Zen, Pure Land (the largest path in the world, and America), and Tibetan (Vajrayana): One Dharma.

WHY: The audience for Buddhism is changing with these times of enormous change. It's not that there's more suffering, but that many are more aware of, and wish to alleviate needless suffering. So a new edition of the book has been created for these uncertain times. The Buddha himself said, "I teach but one thing, and one thing only: the nature of suffering, and liberation thereof." And a younger generation is looking at Buddhism in whole new ways.

WHEN: Available on shelves June 2009, a story can be "hooked" to the latest news item on His Holiness the XIVth Dalai Lama. Any current event can be seen from a Buddhist perspective: just ask, "What would the Buddha do?" Birthdays of famous people are also a hook ("What would the Buddha say to Thomas Jefferson? Darwin? Freud? Einstein? Shakespeare? etc.) Every seasonal event has a Buddhist resonance. (To Christmas shoppers, the Buddha might say, "Be the present.")

WHERE: Wherever you go, there you are.

Please contact Wilks Communications at patty [at] wilkspr [dot] com, or 1-708-434-5006, for a review copy or to arrange an interview with the author.