The Scottish Buddhist Cookbook really drew me in.  The stories are great and told with a lot of compassion and humility, and the recipes provide the perfect balance.  A friend of mine says that peace begins in the kitchen.  She cooks to center herself.  The Scottish Buddhist Cookbook is perfectly in line with that philosophy, and it's given me a greater appreciation for it.  

The book tells real life stories, and some of them really hit me in the guts -- hard life kind of stories, but just when I was feeling like, man, that's a bummer, I'd turn the page and there's this nice crock pot recipe sitting there.  Like a wave of peace.  And somehow I know that everything's gonna be alright.  I really love this book.  I agree with the author when he says it's for guys (because the book really spoke to me), but I think women should read it too.  It would help them understand us a little better.

Throughout the book is a thread of wisdom, compassion, and wit.  It's not a braggadocios attempt by the author to tell everyone how brilliant or incredible he is.  No, Jay Craig lays it on the line to give you a real piece of the truth, and you will respect him for it.  On top of all that, the 11 Demandments of Scottish Buddhism and the 12 Step Program for Christians will basically give you all the philosophy you'll ever need in life, and probably leave you laughing and feeling free.  The Scottish Buddhist Cookbook is as authentic as it gets.

Jeremy A. Hillpot

Orlando, Florida



Despite being a woman, a happily married non-drinker, gourmet cook, Christian and in short supply of Zantac, I found the Scottish Buddhist Cookbook rather amusing. I busted out my crock pot for hours of cooking fun. I only tried one recipe, the Beef Stew, but it was tasty and satisfying in my-bachelor-brother-invited-me-over-for-dinner sort of way. The recipes are certainly economical with time and money. The 11 Demandments and the 12 Steps are guidelines for living that I found both transcendental and nihilistic. I appreciate the narrator's humility: he doesn't take himself too seriously and is aware and honest enough to be both funny and reliable. Refreshingly free of judgment and self-aggrandizement, the Scottish Buddhist Cookbook is like Festivus- a book for the rest of us!

Kimberly Giunta



"Hi! I'm Maggie!" gave me a major belly laugh. God, I needed that! Thanks from New London!

Bob Stuller



The Scottish Buddhist Cookbook is a very enjoyable read--funny, wise, honest, and even somewhat practical. It is too brief to challenge the bible when it comes to kindling, but is a superior text in many other regards. Buy Jay Craig's book. You'll thank yourself.

Darren G., NY



I have to give kudos to author Jay Craig for putting out part his life story (talk about no hold barred) in the book The Scottish Buddhist Cookbook.   
Manic depression, free sex, beer, drugs, a dog and even a nod to the band The Butthole Surfers.  How can you go wrong?  Not to mention a nice sprinkling of Crockpot recipes- sure to help ones soul when served with a nice Redhook ESB. 
Heck, the proposal letters written by Sean Patrick Xxxxxxxxx to the FBI and Ted Turner are more than worth the price of admission, add one Huggy Jesus and Maggie and you have pure literary gold, well, at least in my mind.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who has ever been single or even knew a single person growing up in this screwed up world we call Earth. 

Signed,
Tom Aurand (Just some random guy who read the book).