The Long and the Short of It is a collection of short stories that offer honest impressions of life, the difficulties and the tragedies of it. The book is at pains to describe the reality of living where human beings encounter huge, existential problems such as incarceration, persecution and even apparent death in two of the stories. The other two tales account for difficulties that seemed insuperable at the time, but where these were nevertheless wonderfully overcome by a stroke of fortunatecircumstance. The rest of the stories are short, poignant glimpses into life much as these are projected by JapaneseHaiku.Readers who enjoyed the author's previous books, as well as candid and frank snapshots of life that suit a busy reader's schedule, will relishThe Long and the Short of It.

Cedric Paul Foster was born in Leicester, studied at London and Liverpool Universities and later took up a position at the University of Heidelberg, Germany, where he was able to extend his interests in East Asian culture. This led to the publication of several scholarly works that link the thinking of East and West, including Beckett and Zen (Wisdom Publications) and The Golden Lotus (Book Guild). He lives near Heidelberg.