Some books are good but their covers plain. Some others are bad but their covers beautiful. Some books have good content and beautiful covers but you cannot take it on the bus with you--they are too big or too heavy; and some have beautiful covers but no content, so you can't really take another journey with it on the bus.
But the Penguin Great Ideas series seems to have it all: classic content in a nifty format always packaged in beautifully illustrated covers. Now even the few I have find their home inside my favorite chocolate box, which is a bonus for any organized bookshelf.
I chanced upon this little one at the bookstore yesterday--yes, indeed it was the cover--and quickly devour it, though in contrary to the behavior and mindset advocated in this book: Writings from the Zen Masters.
Here's an excerpt:
The Most Valuable Thing in the World
"Sozan, a Chinese Zen master, was asked by a student: 'What is the most valuable thing in the world?'
The master replied: 'The head of a dead cat.'
'Why is the head of the dead cat the most valuable thing in the world?' inquired the student.
Sozan replied: 'Because no one can name its price.'"
(p.95)
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