In the first chapter, ‘Researching mindfulness and wellness’, Tobin proposes that ‘meditation and mindfulness are presented as components of a toolkit that is pertinent to improving lifestyles by, when it is desirable to do so, enabling people to detach emotions from what they do’ (p. 1). This, plus subsequent chapters and content, leads me to think that there will be readers who will connect closely with the ideas and examples, and those who will find the material lacking, if they persevere in their reading.

In the former group will be teachers and others who are most interested in the individual and the ‘inner self’. The book has 24 chapters split into two parts. Through the 13 chapters of the first part, ‘Mindfulness in Education’, readers will gain an appreciation of the range of situations where mindfulness has been connected with education. Most chapters report case studies from schools or higher education institutions, located mainly in North America (although Thailand and Poland are included), and covering areas ranging across science, mathematics and teacher education. Some chapters focus on students, while others relate to the educators and administrators. The 11 chapters of the second part (‘Mindfulness and Wellness’) make little connection to formal educational contexts and are essentially case studies of ‘clinical practice’ associated with counselling and psychology. Aspects of the material would undoubtedly be useful for readers seeking understanding of the theories and practice of mindfulness in respect of individuals, and occasionally groups, and how this could improve management of their own lives.

For the second grouping of readers, of which I am one, connections to those issues we would generally associate with sustainability will be hard to find. ‘Sustainability’ may be in the book’s title, but that seems to be where it ends, other than implied links to individual/personal sustainability. Even then, sustainability seems to be interpreted as the individual’s mental health. While this is not to be dismissed, the book’s material gives no indication that individuals are part of broader ecosystems, upon which our (human) physical and mental health depend. Rather, connections that any individual may have seem to be restricted to relationships with other humans; as noted in the chapter ‘Recalibration of mindfulness for education’, ‘… the purpose of mindfulness is as a practice that aims at the transformation of ego-driven consciousness liable to self-other dualism and conflict to self-other integrative consciousness’ (p. 21). While ‘self-other integrative consciousness’ could be expected to encompass the broad biological world, such an interpretation does not emerge in the book’s material.

In any exploration of Education for Sustainability (EfS), or Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), we would expect to see some recognition of the need for an holistic appreciation of the world, even consideration of the relevance of systems approaches, yet these points are not highlighted. Further, given the lack of recognition of the ‘other than human’, it is not surprising that missing in action is consideration of how individuals involved in their mindfulness discussions could work to support sustainable development/sustainability principles. The impression given is that anyone adopting a mindfulness approach does not need to be too concerned about moral positions, let alone taking a stance and action in respect of non-human interests. As noted by Calderón in the chapter ‘Awakening mindfulness in science education’, mindfulness is described as a ‘… non-judgemental act that involves paying attention to present moment experience in a way that challenges our innate constant reoccupation with past and future thoughts of events passing through our minds’ (p. 56). This description also reinforces the focus of mindfulness, and the material of much of the book being on the ‘here and now’. This may be helpful for counselling to assist individuals manage their personal and/or interpersonal issues, but does little to further the principles of sustainable development/sustainability. Rather, the whole point of sustainability is consideration of the future: for ecosystems and the humans they support to be sustained into the future. Also, generally there will be an understanding that it is the past that provides understanding of how to manage these systems in the future.

The overall impression gained from engaging with the 24 chapters is that the audience for this book will be those who are involved in counselling people needing assistance in their work or while studying. It is also valuable for those who want to gain an understanding of the concepts of mindfulness, at least in regard to the individual, and who may wish to introduce these concepts and practice into their teaching. Otherwise, the book has little to offer those involved with EfS or ESD. It may even be that for any readers wishing to understand and apply EfS or ESD, the material could be counter-productive.