After failing at university, socially isolated and driven by his stuttering to the point of despair, an unexpected encounter with a book about Zen provided a glimmer of hope. Then, little by little his fortune changed, and the stutter - which, previously had posed the greatest obstacle - became the catalyst for the development of a new and profoundly liberating perspective on life.

Interwoven with Brocklehurst's personal story, The Perfect Stutter explores the nature of language and verbal communication, the significance of mistakes, and the roles that values and value-judgements play in our lives. In so doing, the book highlights the importance of our deepest desires and their relevance to our understanding of what it means to be a human being.