Alan W. Watts [1915-1973] at Maison d'Être Philosophy Bookstore

Best known as an interpreter of Eastern wisdom (specifically Zen Buddhism) for the contemporary West, Alan Wilson Watts was born in Britain on 6 January 1915. While training to become an Anglican priest in Canterbury, he discovered Buddhism from London Bookstores. He worked with D.T. Suzuki and The Buddhist Lodge, becoming editor of their quarterly, The Middle Way. He published his first book, "The Spirit of Zen" in 1935 (revised in 1968). In 1938, he married Eleanor Everett and moved to New York.

He wrote and published several books, then enrolled in Seabury Western Theological Seminary in Illinois; he was ordained an Episcopal priest in 1944. In 1950, he left the priesthood and his first wife, moving to New York with Dorothy Dewitt. In January 1951, he and his new wife moved to California, to a job teaching at the Academy of Asian Studies in San Francisco. He was soon invited to speak on public radio station KPFA in Berkeley. He published "The Way of Zen" in 1957, which immediately became a best-seller. Radio syndication and the N.E.T. tv series, "Eastern Wisdom and Modern Life" greatly increased his renown. He later received an honorary doctorate of divinity.

Thru his books, tape recordings, radio, television, and public lectures, he developed an audience of millions, in effect becoming an unintentional spokesman for the counterculture movement.

Alan Watts died in his sleep on 16 November 1973, at home aboard the old ferryboat 'Vallejo', in San Francisco Bay; he is survived by his wife and seven children. In recent times, son Mark has compiled and edited many books based on his father's lectures and essays.

"Behold The Spirit: A Study In The Necessity of Mystical Religion" [Pantheon 1947]
Random House pb [3/72] for $8.00

"Easter: Its Story & Meaning" [1950]

"Alan Watts Love of Wisdom Library"
transcripts edited by Mark Watts; published by Charles E. Tuttle

	"The Wisdom of Insecurity" [1951] Random House pb [9/68] for $8.00
	"Myth & Ritual In Christianity" [1953] Beacon Press 8½x5.4 pb [7/86] for $18.50
	"The Way of Zen" [Pantheon 1957] Vintage 8x5 pb [2/99] for $9.60 Vintage 9¾x6¾ pb [8/89] out of print/used Audio Renaissance ABR audio [7/89] for $9.56
	"Nature, Man and Woman" [1958] Vintage 8x5¼ pb [3/91] for $9.60
	"This Is It and Other Essays On Zen & Spiritual Experience" [6 essays; Pantheon 1960] Random House pb [9/87] for $9.00
	"Psychotherapy East and West" [1961] Random House pb [8/75] out of print/used
	"The Joyous Cosmology: Adventures In The Chemistry of Consciousness" [Pantheon 1962] Foreword by Timothy Leary & Richard Alpert Random House [12/65] out of print/used online HTML text at AcidMagic

	"Still The Mind: An Introduction To Meditation" [2000] Edited by Mark Watts Charles Tuttle 8½x4.4 pb [12/2001] for $8.00 New World Library pb [2/2002] for $10.36 New World Library hardcover [5/2000] for $12.80 Charles Tuttle 8¾x5 hardcover [4/98] for $13.56 New World Library ABR audio [5/2000] for $9.56
	"What Is Zen?" [2000] New World Library pb [9/2000] for $9.95
	"What Is Tao?" [2000] New World Library pb [9/2000] for $9.95
	"Become What You Are" [1995; rev 2003] Edited by Mark Watts Shambala pb [3/2003] for $10.36 Shambala pb [5/95] out of print/used
	"Talking Zen" [1994] Edited by Mark Watts Weatherhill 8x5 pb [10/94] for $10.36 in Spanish: Ediciones Sirio pb [2001] for $16.94
	"Diamond Web: Live In The Moment" [1987] Edited by Mark Watts And Books pb [12/87] for $8.95

	"Out of The Trap" [1985] Edited by Mark Watts And Books 8½x5½ pb [12/85] for $10.36 Electronic Univ ABR audio [8/97] for $15.95
	"The Way of Liberation: Essays & Lectures On The Transformation of The Self" [1983] Edited by Mark Watts & Rebecca Shropshire Weatherhill 5½x8 pb [3/83] for $10.36
	"Play To Live" [1982] Edited by Mark Watts And Books 8½x5½ pb [12/82] for $9.95 via Amazon.com
	"Om: Creative Meditations" [1980] Ten Speed/Celestial Arts pb [12/95] out of print/used Ten Speed/Celestial Arts pb [3/80] out of print/used

	"Taoism: Way Beyond Seeking" [1998] pb [10/2001] for $8.00 hardcover [4/98] for $13.56
	"The Culture of Counter Culture" [1998] 8½x4¾ pb [4/99] for $8.00 8¾x5 hardcover [7/98] for $16.95
	"Zen and the Beat Way" [1997] 7x5 pb [6/97] for $11.16 Electronic University audio [7/97] for $18.00
	"Buddhism: The Religion of No-Religion" [1996] 8½x4¾ pb [10/99] for $8.00 8¾x5 hardcover [4/96] for $16.95 Vol 1: audio [12/96] out of stock/used Vol 2: audio [12/96] out of stock/used
	"Myth and Religion" [1996] 8¾x5 hardcover [4/96] for $13.56 Vol 1: audio [6/97] for $31.94 Vol 2: audio [6/97] out of stock/used
	"The Tao of Philosophy" [1995] 8½x4¾ pb [10/99] for $8.00 8¾x5 hardcover [8/95] for $16.95 in Spanish: Editorial Edaf pb [2001] out of stock/used Vol 1: audio [3/95] out of stock/used Vol 2: audio [3/95] out of stock/used
	"Philosophies of Asia" [1995] 8½x4¾ pb [4/99] for $8.00 hardcover [6/95] out of print/used Vol 1: ABR audio [3/95] out of stock/used Vol 2: ABR audio [3/95] out of stock/used

	"Cloud-Hidden, Whereabouts Unknown: A Mountain Journal" [Pantheon 1973] Random House pb [3/74] for $8.00 Pantheon hardcover [1973] out of print/used
	"Tao: The Watercourse Way" [Pantheon 1975] Edited by Al Chung-Liang Huang Random House 9x6 pb [3/77] for $9.60 Pantheon hardcover [1975] out of print/used

	"Seeds of Genius: The Early Writings of Alan Watts" [1998] Edited by John Snelling & Mark Watts HarperCollins/Element 8½x5½ pb [2/98] for $15.95
	"Early Writings of Alan Watts, 1931-38" [Thames & Hudson 1980] Edited by John Snelling, with Mark Watts & Dennis Sibley Ten Speed Press 8½x5½ pb [2/96] out of print/used Ten Speed Press hardcover [12/87] out of print/used

Maison d'Être Philosophy BookstoreAlan W. WattsPage One

Maison d'Être Philosophy Bookstore
Alan W. Watts
Page One