Many Western visitors to Japan have been struck by the numerous cemeteries for aborted fetuses, which are characterized by throngs of images of the Bodhisattva Jizo, usually dressed in red baby aprons or other baby garments, and each dedicated to an individual fetus. Abortion is common in Japan and as a consequence one of the frequently performed rituals in Japanese Buddhism is mizuko-kuyo, a ceremony for aborted and miscarried fetuses. Over the past forty years, mizuko-kuyo has gradually come to America, where it has been appropriated by non-Buddhists as well as Buddhist practitioners. In this book, Jeff Wilson examines how and why Americans of different backgrounds have brought knowledge and performance of this Japanese ceremony to the United States. Drawing on his own extensive fieldwork in Japan and the U.S., as well as the literature in both Japanese and English, Wilson shows that the meaning and purpose of the ritual have changed greatly in the American context. In Japan, mizuko-kuyo is performed to placate the potentially dangerous spirit of the angry fetus. In America, however, it has come to be seen as a way for the mother to mourn and receive solace for her loss. Many American women who learn about mizuko-kuyo are struck by the lack of such a ceremony and see it as filling a very important need. Ceremonies are now performed even for losses that took place many years ago. Wilson's well-written study not only contributes to the growing literature on American Buddhism, but sheds light on a range of significant issues in Buddhist studies, interreligious contact, women's studies, and even bioethics.

Mourning the Unborn Dead: A Buddhist Ritual Comes to America

Religion & Spirituality

Wilson, Jeff

Buddhism

Oxford University Press

Thirty years ago, "mindfulness" was a Buddhist principle mostly obscure to the west. Today, it is a popular cure-all for Americans' daily problems. A massive and lucrative industry promotes mindfulness in every aspect of life, however mundane or unlikely: Americans of various faiths (or none at all) practice mindful eating, mindful sex, mindful parenting, mindfulness in the office, mindful sports, mindfulness-based stress relief and addiction recovery, and hire mindful divorce lawyers. Mindfulness is touted by members of Congress, CEOs, and Silicon Valley tech gurus, and is even being taught in public schools, hospitals, and the military. Focusing on such processes as the marketing, medicalization, and professionalization of meditation, Jeff Wilson reveals how Buddhism shed its countercultural image and was assimilated into mainstream American culture. The rise of mindfulness in America, Wilson argues, is a perfect example of how Buddhism enters new cultures and is domesticated: in each case, the new cultures take from Buddhism what they believe will relieve their specific distresses and concerns, and in the process create new forms of Buddhism adapted to their needs. Wilson also tackles the economics of the mindfulness movement, examining commercial programs, therapeutic services, and products such as books, films, CDs, and even smartphone applications. Mindful America is the first in-depth study of this phenomenon--invaluable for understanding how mindfulness came to be applied to such a vast array of non-religious concerns and how it can be reconciled with traditional Buddhism in America.

Mindful America: The Mutual Transformation of Buddhist Meditation and American Culture

Health, Fitness & Dieting

Alternative Medicine

"The promise of an empty football field is an irresistible force for those who understand and revere the game," Jeff Wilson observes. Drawn by the sense of possibility and nostalgia inherent in every stadium, Wilson traveled the state of Texas to photograph high school stadiums for a photo essay that appeared in Texas Monthly in August 2005. The magazine's readers responded with an outpouring of enthusiasm, and Wilson's photo essay was nominated for a prestigious National Magazine Award.
In Home Field, Wilson creates a unique photo portrait of nearly eighty Texas high school football stadiums, ranging from the bright lights, artificial turf, and seating for thousands at Southlake Carroll to the lone set of bleachers under the wide open sky in Veribest. Shot from the fifty-yard line facing the home stands, these photographs invite us to view each stadium from the same vantage point and experience it as an evocative place that holds a community's collective memories. Accompanying the photographs are reminiscences about the fields from players, coaches, team physicians, athletic directors, sportswriters and announcers, school superintendents, principals and teachers, band directors, maintenance workers, booster club parents, students, and fans. Their stories—whether funny, nostalgic, or poignant—reveal just how important high school football is to Texans and how it creates an unforgettable sense of community and camaraderie.
Sure to bring back memories as soon as you open the book, Home Field captures what football is supposed to be—"simple and pure, like a perfect spiral arcing gracefully across the sky."

Home Field: Texas High School Football Stadiums from Alice to Zephyr (Charles N. Prothro Texana Series)

Arts & Photography

Individual Artists

University of Texas Press

Buddhism in New York is as exciting and diverse as the city itself, but can be just as overwhelming for those new to the practice. What's a good temple or practice center to try for your first visit? What should you wear? What are the differences between the various schools? With The Buddhist Guide to New York, you can find a supportive community in which to explore the wisdom offered by this 2,500-year-old tradition. The book includes: * A brief introduction to Buddhism and the different schools, from Pure Land to Zen * General etiquette for visiting temples * Practice centers in all five boroughs, New York State, New Jersey, and Connecticut * Tibetan stores and restaurants * Buddhist health practitioners * Museums and cultural resources * Bookstores, publications, educational institutions, and other resources Whether you're a new explorer of Buddhism or a long-time practitioner, The Buddhist Guide to New York will help you enjoy everything the region has to offer.

The Buddhist Guide to New York: Where to Go, What to Do, and How to Make the Most of the Fantastic Resources in the Tri-State Area

St. Martin's: Griffin

Mastering Unreal Technology, Volume I: Introduction to Level Design with Unreal Engine 3 is your start-to-finish guide to modding and level design with the world’s hottest new gaming engine: Unreal Engine 3. Here’s everything you need to know to jumpstart your skills and create stunning new content and games for consoles and PCs alike! Your authors aren’t just the world’s #1 Unreal game development trainers: They’ve even built the training modules that shipped with Unreal Tournament 3: Limited Collector’s Edition. Now, working with the full cooperation of Unreal Engine 3’s creators, Epic Games, they introduce every facet of game development—from simple level creation to materials, lighting, and terrain...even advanced level optimization and streaming! Packed with tips, hands-on tutorials, and expert techniques, Mastering Unreal Technology, Volume I is all you need to create levels that look spectacular and work brilliantly...levels that gamers just can’t stop playing! You’ll find expert tips on <ul>
<li>Understanding the game development process from start to finish </li> <li>Planning projects for greater efficiency, faster delivery, and better quality </li> <li>Crafting worlds with stunning beauty and clarity </li> <li>Bringing amazing realism to characters, objects, and props </li> <li>Making the most of Unreal Engine 3’s massively upgraded lighting system </li> <li>Scripting complex gameplay quickly and easily with Unreal Kismet </li> <li>Building animated game assets with Unreal Matinee </li> <li>Testing game performance during live gameplay </li> <li>Optimizing levels by improving the interaction between lights and surfaces </li> <li>Using advanced level streaming to create vast, rich, highly playable levels</li> </ul>Winner of the Front Line Award for best game development book of 2009!

Mastering Unreal Technology: Introduction to Level Design with Unreal Engine 3

Busby, Jason

Parrish, Zak

Humor & Entertainment

Sams.

Mastering Unreal Technology, Volume II: Advanced Level Design Concepts with Unreal Engine 3 is your start-to-finish guide to state-of-the-art Unreal Tournament 3 modding and level design. Here’s everything you need to know to take your game design skills to the next level, creating content with breakthrough depth and interactivity! Your authors aren’t just the world’s #1 Unreal game development trainers: They’ve built the training mods that shipped with Unreal Tournament. Now, working with the full cooperation of Unreal Engine 3’s creators, Epic Games, they introduce innovative, pro-quality techniques you’ll find nowhere else: outstanding solutions for everything from particle effects to physics, materials to cinematics. Packed with tips, hands-on tutorials, and expert insight, Mastering Unreal Technology, Volume II will help you take Unreal Tournament 3 and Unreal Engine 3 to the limit...and then blow right by it! You’ll find expert tips on <ul>
<li>Creating advanced materials that leverage the full power of UnrealEd’s Material Editor</li> <li>Bringing levels to life with objects affected by gravity, collisions, and player influence</li> <li>Creating fire, smoke, sparks, and more with Unreal Engine 3’s particle effects system</li> <li>Building custom user interfaces, including Heads-Up Displays (HUDs) that update constantly</li> <li>Using SoundCues to mix, modulate, crossfade, and attenuate sounds</li> <li>Generating real-time camera-based effects, including depth of field, motion blur, and color adjustment</li> <li>Using post process effects to quickly transform a scene’s look and feel without changing existing materials or textures</li> <li>Animating characters and vehicles that move with unprecedented realism</li> <li>Creating in-game cinematics that develop your characters and move your story forward</li> </ul>

Mastering Unreal Technology: Advanced Level Design Concepts With Unreal Engine 3

These annual supplements to West's Encyclopedia of American Law update and expand the content with dozens of new topics. Each year's edition contains the full U.S. Supreme Court docket in addition to the non-SCOTUS cases. In addition a glossary of legal terms is also included to help the user with their research.

American Law Yearbook

Law Practice

Gale

Buddhism in the United States is often viewed in connection with practitioners in the Northeast and on the West Coast, but in fact, it has been spreading and evolving throughout the United States since the mid-nineteenth century. In Dixie Dharma, Jeff Wilson argues that region is crucial to understanding American Buddhism. Through the lens of a multidenominational Buddhist temple in Richmond, Virginia, Wilson explores how Buddhists are adapting to life in the conservative evangelical Christian culture of the South, and how traditional Southerners are adjusting to these newer members on the religious landscape. Introducing a host of overlooked characters, including Buddhist circuit riders, modernist Pure Land priests, and pluralistic Buddhists, Wilson shows how regional specificity manifests itself through such practices as meditation vigils to heal the wounds of the slave trade. He argues that southern Buddhists at once use bodily practices, iconography, and meditation tools to enact distinct sectarian identities even as they enjoy a creative hybridity.

Dixie Dharma: Inside a Buddhist Temple in the American South

History

Americas

University of North Carolina Press

Jeff Wilson started his walk on the Buddha's path as a Zen practitioner - taking up a tradition of vigorous self-effort, intensive meditation, and meticulous attention to rectitude in every action. But in Jeff's case, rather than freeing him from his suffering, he found those Zen practices made him nothing short of insufferable. And so he turned to Shin Buddhism - a path that is easily the most popular in Zen's native land of Japan but is largely unknown in the West. Shin emphasizes an "entrusting heart," a heart that is able to receive with gratitude every moment of our mistake-filled and busy lives. Moreover, through walking the Shin path, Jeff comes see that each of us (himself especially included) are truly "foolish beings," people so filled with endlessly arising "blind passions" and ingrained habits that we so easily cause harm even with our best intentions. And even so, Shin holds out the tantalizing possibility that, by truly entrusting our foolish selves to the compassionate universe, we can learn to see how this foolish life, just as it is, is nonetheless also a life of grace. Buddhism of the Heart is a wide-ranging book of essays and open-hearted stories, reflections that run the gamut from intensely personal to broadly philosophical, introducing the reader to a remarkable religious tradition of compassionate acceptance.

Buddhism of the Heart: Reflections on Shin Buddhism and Inner Togetherness

Wisdom Publications

Helps the hobbyist create contest-quality models with tips on basic materials, tools, and painting techniques. Shows how to turn ordinary locomotives, rolling stock, and structures into realistic models.

Painting and Weathering Railroad Models

Crafts, Hobbies & Home

Crafts & Hobbies

Kalmbach Pub. Co

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Wilson, Jeff. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Wilson, Jeff