Alan Watts was a brilliant and influential British writer and lecturer who both interpreted, and popularized Eastern philosophy and religion for a Western audience. Holding a masters degree in Theology, in addition to being an ordained Episcopal priest from 1945 - 1950, Watts wrote more than 25 books and articles on subjects important to Eastern and Western religion. He introduced the youth culture of San Francisco to The Way of Zen in 1957, one of the first bestselling books on Buddhism.