Alan Watts Alan Wilson Watts (1915-1973) was an English writer, theologian, and speaker known for interpreting and popularizing Buddhism, Taoism, and Hinduism for a Western audience. He wrote more than twenty-five books and articles on religion and philosophy, ncluding The Way of Zen (1957), one of the first bestselling books on Buddhism. He died on November 16, 1973, at his cabin in Druid Heights, California. Read More Read Less