Zen is famous for its delightfully perplexing stories, and now Sean Murphy has taken the tales of American Zen and woven them into this venerable tradition. Murphy, a Zen student and accomplished writer, immersed himself in the history of American Zen, conducting numerous personal interviews and distilling from them 108 pithy stories of foreign and domestic masters in America. The stories could stand on their own as an American version of Zen Flesh, Zen Bones, but Murphy goes a step further. He adds what we wish were there for the old Zen stories: the history behind the tales. The players range from masters Suzuki, Maezumi, Seung Sahn, Robert Aitken, and Philip Kapleau to earnest students Gary Snyder, Alan Watts, and Philip Whalen. In addition to the big names, Murphy includes the less well known but equally interesting Tsung Tsai, Deh Chun, and others. Full of humor, history, and tantalizing takes on reality, One Bird, One Stone stands as a genuine Zen classic. --Brian Bruya