THE STORY OF ZEN is a complete overview of the ideas, history, evolution, and practice of Zen Buddhism, based on interviews with more than 100 Zen teachers and senior students in Canada, the United States and Mexico. Richard Bryan McDaniel, the author, is a long-time Zen practitioner and well-known expert in his field; this is his sixth book on the subject of Zen. The foreword is by Genjo Marinello Roshi, and the afterword is by Dosho Port Roshi.

Part One of the book situates Zen within the larger context of Buddhism, recounting Shakyamuni Buddha's life story, what he taught, how it evolved through time into the Mahayana, and how it continued to evolve upon its encounter with Daoism in China.

Part Two of the book explains the essence of Chan (in China), Zen (in Japan), how Westerners first encountered Zen, and how Zen expanded out of Asia as a result of that encounter.

Part Three of the book explores the Zen Boom of the 1960s, the challenges and scandals of the 1980s, and how modern American Zen has revisioned and grown from those difficulties. Of particular interest are contemporary voices of Zen teachers and senior students today, with an eye on the future of Zen practice, incorporating such modern social issues as feminism, racism, and environmental activism.

The book includes a bibliography and a glossary.