My review will probably connect with a certain kind of reader and not with others. For me, this book is one of the finest works on meditation that I have ever read and I'd like to give you enough background to understand why I think that. I am reasonably experienced with meditation. I have practiced or attempted to practice several forms from TM, MBSR, Contemplation, Mindfulness, Vipassana and I'm sure others are in there over the last 25 years. I had no family meditation culture surrounding me and I attempted to make a go of it as a teenager learning from the books that I could find. Over the years, I have experienced some incredible and profound changes and experiences as a result of meditation. But also, I had times where I just didn't do it because I blew out or had lost confidence in the process, mostly not realizing what had happened at the time! I certainly never lost the desire to bring the benefits in my life, but just lost my way now and again because I couldn't identify what had gone wrong or what the next step was. I am not interested in Bhuddism per se, but by virtue of the meditation books I have read and retreats I have done I am familiar. My real interest is in the practical aspects that transcend culture and religion. To me Gautama was a super smart guy, a veritable uber-genius. But I don't believe he was a god or anything. Still he was able to really distill some ideas that are really a profound benefit to humanity. But he wasn't the only genius. Over X thousand years there has been a lot of different cultures that have practiced meditation and received great benefits. Over much of this time this knowledge though has been held largely in for-profit teaching structures that kept the concepts inaccessible or at other times there were societal opposition to these ideas (such as calling it witchcraft). But now we are here in the modern era as these ancient materials are pouring out. We have the benefits of modern teachers researching the accumulated brilliance of all of these years of practice. And to me that is the category for this book. I am really looking for is an experienced modern teacher who can elucidate the relevant meditation concepts with modern language. I have been reading with a highlighter where I highlight salient and concisely stated points, of which I have found many. The book (and the structure of practice it recommends) is organized in a clear and incremental way. The language is precise. When discussing these concepts, it is vital to have an agreed upon shared vocabulary. There are obviously concepts that need to be experienced to be fully understood. Though I am familiar (at this point) with many Sanskrit, Pali and Yoga terms at this point -- they doesn't resonate with me the same way a properly defined English conceptual definition would. I am not part of those cultures, nor do I really want to be. This book defines good descriptive English terms. The authors include a well-written glossary of terms in the back and then utilize and contextualize those concepts as they lay out an incremental development path. I read the glossary first and then I started working through the chapters (each person needs should take his or her own approach). For me, the authors have made very important distinctions that led to important insights that I wish I had years ago. I don't want to just leave a rah rah emotional review, but having read quite a few other meditation books -- this book feels like one that will be cherished for a long time. The authors are fully modern teachers. I also recommend The Science of Enlightenment by Shinzen Young which previously held the title as my outright #1 favorite. But "The Mind Illuminated" has such an intelligent layout and progressive structure (derived, I am sure, from years of practical teaching experience) -- it is at least equal to me in value. In short, this is an excellent book. I have benefited greatly from reading it. And I am not casual about things just giving an eBay "A++++++++++++" review.