I would like to thank the publisher for giving me a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this!

This coffee table photo book by professional photographer and Thich Nhat Hanh student Paul Davis contains 50 photographs that capture the joy of living in the present experienced by monks and nuns of all ages.  Some are in traditional activities, and some are found in the most unexpected.  In his foreward, Davis discusses how his own personal tragedy left him searching for a culture in which being present in the moment was key.  He was already knowledgeable of the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh, but went in search of the monks and nuns who followed his words.

The photographs are beautiful, catching candid and unguarded beauty in a way I personally have not seen in another photographer's work.  I think this would make a great conversational piece on any coffee table.

A Way of Life: Zen Monastics at Work and Play by Paul Davis is a free NetGalley book that I read in late October.

Albeit a relatively different faith, I picked up this book, because it reminded me of a calendar that I owned in my teens called Nuns Having Fun. Similarly (and a bit more seriously), Davis follows the teachings of Zen practioner, Thich Nhat Hanh, at a sangha in Vietnam and takes beautiful, thought-provoking photographs of his experiences that are mindful of nature, duty, fun (sometimes dutiful fun), darkness, and light.

A combination of photographs that takes you through the spiritual and heartfelt journey of Paul Davis to Vietnam and his search for peace and the meaning of life with quotes from his mentor Thach Naht Hahn throughout the book .

i found this book to be quiet insightful on the monks's simple way of living, their peaceful moments, working together as a community, and even their happy and silly ways in life that left me smiling while reading it, each and every photo had a story that left me thinking and delivered an emotion no matter if it's an artistically beautiful photograph or even the ones that were randomly captured with no strict ratios and rules to contain and make then called art, and i think that's the whole purpose behind this book that it's all in the moment's and importance of capturing it.

[ Arc provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review ]

A Way of Life offers up a rare opportunity.  One that we would not otherwise have.  The opportunity is to view monks and nuns at work and at play.  

The images are global.  The message is personal.  It's all about being mindful.

Included are quotes from Davis' Zen teacher Thich Nhat Hanh.

A Way of Life is a work of art of works of art.

Thank you, Net Galley for the opportunity to review this book --- as people who follow me know, I do not regurgitate what the book is about as that is what the description from the author and publisher at the top of the page are for.
Paul Davis' love of photography and Vietnam led to this beautiful book. of the life of Zen Monastics.
The photos show the beauty in daily life shown in photos interspersed with poems. What a beautiful book.

Hauntingly beautiful in every respect. You have to read the history behind the journey of this amazing photo book. Shows that life can be simple, peaceful and joyful in every aspect. The photos are crisp, clear, and thought provoking. You can see the intensity at times and the playful joy expressed in the daily lives. You will find something new and meaningful each time you enjoy looking at this book. The poems add dimension to the photos and cause you to pause and really look at what is happening. Wonderful book.

A book of photos taken of monks in and around their monastery.  Black & white, color, posed, candid, serious, and silly- all are included and offer an interesting look inside their world.

Absolutely beautiful and unforgettable. 
Each image takes you on a journey and the experience and emotions it provokes are somehow always different.

I have to admit I have honestly never really thought that much about Buddhist Monks and Nuns and their way of life. Many people like myself just knew what we see on television. A bunch of people wearing long robes walking around praying. This book will open every ones eyes about the way of life of the buddhist Monks and Nuns. Paul Davis has done an amazing job with about 50 black and white photos in this book, we can now see the truth in their lives. The photos show an array of activities from playing kickball to washing dishes. There is a smile in just about every picture. There are quotes throughout the book as well. I was actually touched by some of the quotes. I feel just by looking through this book I have a new understanding of the lives of the Buddhist Monks and Nuns, at work and play. 

I received this book from the Author or Publisher via Netgalley.com to read and review.

The book is a personal experience.  The author opens his heart and mind so that we get a glimpse of a very private part of his life.  The photographs are amazing; some in color and some in black and white.  A restful collection of images not to be missed.

These illustrations are sometimes color, sometimes monochrome, letting the simple peace, joy and tranquility of monastic life be conveyed through their composition,  strength of line and vibrancy.  If you know Buddhism, you will recognize the themes; if you are newly  curious about it you can see and feel the natural happiness in the photos and learn from the accompanying  quotes by Thach Naht Hahn.  To describe the excellent combination of text,  images and the  state of true contentment they convey would soon exhaust my supply of superlatives. I am so happy to have had the opportunity from NetGalley and Parallax Press to review this book.  I'm going to buy several copies to gift to friends so that on a rainy day they can open a book of sunshine about a wonderful way of life that has not been lost..

A way of life shows the beautiful photography taken by a Vietnam veteran, who lost his son in a car accident and was searching for meaning. He discovered Thich Nhat Hanh's Zen teachings which led him back to Vietnam. The photographs, showing the Vietnamese monastery way of life, transports the reader to the country with bliss and joy of a more simple existence. 

While there isn't that much text to read, the beginning tells author, Paul Davis' story of the Vietnam war to his son, Nathan's death which led him on the journey to search of meaning. The book does include quotes by Thich Nhat Hanh to go along with the photographs.

Overall, I found this book to be very enjoyable because it made me think about the different lifestyles around the world.

Photographs of a Vietnamese monastery through the eyes of an American.
The shots are often grainy, which lends itself well to the documentary aspect of the book. One of the first shots shows two women in profile walking past a lake, a red bridge before them. The background is foggy. It’s beautiful.
But mostly it’s about the monks. There’s a bald one with glasses, smiling as he/she paddle a rowboat. The masked monk on a riding lawn mower seems a little incongruous. There’s shots of them playing basketball, volleyball, badminton, hopscotch, and some sort of hackey-sack in a parking lot. Not what is expected from a monastery. There’s also a music section, the highlight of which is the little girl watching the cello player.
Some of the photos are complimented by sayings or poems, which does serve to make them a little more special, but even though there’s some beautiful images here, most of the photography looks like stuff taken at a backyard family party. Not all that interesting, unless the point was somewhere in the vein of, “Look, they’re just like us!”

This book guarantees an interesting reading, meaning a thoughtful and peaceful experience. Photos are beautifully taken, showing the green field that a monastic life has been built on. In the forward, author's story is intriguing, but it allows readers to walk through the misfortunes and enter into a state of mind where others' opinions matter less, and finding the calling of self rules. 

The love of mother Nature is obvious in the camera. Mentioning ashes to ashes and dust to dust carry more meaning than a bear reciting. For people who live in metropolitan cities, it might be hard to comprehend, but it is equally hard to understand for those who never listen. 

Listen to the deep self calling, achievements do not build on numbers or anything else. There are too many unhappiness in the world, from various people, different aspects, but eventually it will all go. Why bother. 

After all, it's a pleasure to read.

A Way of Life - ZEN MONASTICS AT WORK AND PLAY
Paul Davis
'A smile is the most basic kind of peace work.' -- Thich Nhat Hanh 
In these times of fanaticism and terror, intolerance and disruption, Paul Davis's A Way of Life: Zen Monastics at Work and Play takes the reader to a far-away world of joy and peace. The author is a documentary photographer who came in contact with the Zen preacher Thich Nhat Hanh soon after a personal tragedy. In his own words he found in the Zen teaching no 'canned answers' but 'a life path that made sense to me'. The present book is a photographic record of Davis's journey into that world of reflection. 
A Way of Life is a book of luminous photographs that touch a deep chord in the heart. The splendid images, in black-and-white and colour, exude peace and joy. You'll be hard put to find a picture without smiling faces. In other photos with no human presence, nature is smiling.  Words of wisdom of the Zen teacher are sprinkled all over the book.  
The beautiful photographs, taken in Vietnam, France and the USA, paint the monks and nuns in a variety of activities that make up their mindful living: meditation, gardening, sweeping, cooking, sports, music. The monks are often silently ecstatic, sometimes there is just a hint of a smile on their lips. But almost always their faces are illuminated by a sense of inner joy and peace. These photographs will have a soothing effect on the minds of the viewers.  The world they portray is serene and unruffled.  This reviewer hopes that they would also prompt a modern soul to reflect on whether it is worthwhile to have a life of 'sick hurry and divided aims'. 
This is a coffee table book, a book of photographs with the introductory words by the author the only piece of continuous text. Paul Davis's A Way of Life is a nice book to keep on your bedside table and leaf through in good times and bad. It will also be an ideal addition to the tables and bookshelves in places usually visited by anguished and troubled minds. Highly recommended. 
The reviewer is obligated to let the readers know that he received a free electronic copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.