About the author, quoting from p. 272 of the book, "Kenneth Kenichi Tanaka, Ph.D. is minister at the Southern Alameda County Buddhist Church and currently on leave as the Rev. Yoshitaka Tamai Professor at the Institute of Buddhist Studies (Graduate Theological Union) in Berkeley. [He has multiple books on Buddhism to his name]. He is an active participant in the Buddhist Council of Northern California and inter-faiths activities." About the book: Ruth Tabrah, author and Jodo-Shinshu priest, said of this work, "'Ocean' is exactly what its metaphoric title describes--a buoyant array of answers to common questions about the Shin Buddhist way of life and thought, its relation to general Buddhism, and its similarities with and differences from other religious paths." This work contains six appendices covering such topics as "Key Historical Dates," and "When Confronted by Non-Buddhist Fundamentalists." Also included is a glossary, and Jodo-Shinshu bibliography. A general index is provided, along with and index of most frequently asked questions.