Living Well without Perfection: Modern Literature and Buddhism

A Partial Enlightenment by Avram Alpert explores modern Buddhism as a source of meaning and purpose in a chaotic world. The book challenges the idealized view of Buddhism as a path to perfection and instead focuses on finding enlightenment within imperfection. Through personal experiences and analyses of various novels, Alpert reveals the transformative moments that modern Buddhism can facilitate. The book highlights the universal nature of suffering and the limitations of attaining total enlightenment. It emphasizes the power of partial enlightenments and the insights that arise when we accept imperfection. A Partial Enlightenment is a 264-page paperback published by Columbia University Press.