A Force for Good

July 6, 2015
Goleman (Emotional Intelligence), a longtime friend of the Dalai Lama, presents a personal and passionate account of Tibetan Buddhism's spiritual leader, discussing his habits, disposition, and goals for humanity. Goleman describes practical aspects of the Dalai Lama's vision that include being mindful of social injustice, supporting groups such as "Action for Happiness" and "B Corporations" that have an "explicit mission to benefit society," and uniting to combat climate change. Our hearts, he believes, can turn away from destructive dreams of money, power and fame. Oddly, however, Goleman seems to presuppose that the reader's interest in the Dalai Lama lies precisely in the sage's power, fame, and access, and spends a great deal of time on his globetrotting appearances that fill stadiums, his Nobel Prize, and his routine meetings with heads of states. One wonders whether a reader who would be wowed by that aspect of the Dalai Lama would also "get" the humble aspects of the visionâbut perhaps those are the readers Goleman wants to pull in? For anyone not put off by Goleman's dazzle, a solid and hopeful message awaits.

June 15, 2015

Psychologist and science writer Goleman first made the concept of emotional intelligence widely known in Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ, which described the importance of understanding emotional information and applying this knowledge effectively to guide intentions and actions. The central concerns of his dozen or so books on this topic as it relates to leadership, education, economics, the environment, world events, and conduct of life are synthesized in this latest offering focused on the Dalai Lama's message of compassion and action as fundamental requirements for human survival. Goleman surveys the wide-ranging impact of the Dalai Lama's wisdom on youth development, brain research, social movements, and individual initiatives as well as the key learnings of multidisciplinary dialogs that have taken place over the course of decades among scientists, psychologists, and spiritual leaders in the Mind and Life Institute meetings with the Dalai Lama. Background notes give a helpful context to the diverse elements in each chapter. VERDICT Goleman inspires readers to train their minds and hearts in the Dalai Lama's teachings of compassionate action and concern for the world: "Think for the long run, for today's children.... We don't have to leave for them the world as we found it."--Bernadette McGrath, Vancouver P.L.

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2015
To the outside world, the Dalai Lama personifies calmness and tranquility. But as Goleman makes clear, he is human and, like the rest of us, has known anger, grief, and disappointment. As a young man he admits he had a very short temper. He followed his own path to self-mastery but insists he is not unique: Through training we can change. Tenzin Gyatso, his given name, is the fourteenth Dalai Lama, the religious and political head of Tibet, and, since the invasion of his nation by Communist China in the 1950s, in exile. Although he won the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize and is world famous, he thinks of himself modestly as a simple monk. One with a playful streak, too, telling jokes at his own expense, and when he gets together with friend Archbishop Desmond Tutu, they banter and joke around like small boys. Far from being a self-help book, this examines specific ideas espoused by the Dalai Lama, such as emotional hygiene, compassionate economy, and education of the heart that can make the world a better place. An optimistic and thoughtful primer with practical applications.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)