The Art of Happiness in a Troubled World

November 15, 2009
With a title as promising and intriguing as this one, the current Dalai Lama cant miss. In this sequel to his best-selling The Universe in a Single Atom (2005), His Holiness taps into a universal nerve that begs to be soothed and comforted in the midst of the chaos and confusion that characterize modern existence. Not surpisingly, readers are counseled to apply general Buddhist philosophy and traditions to the often baffling host of contemporary dilemmas and conditions that besiege us daily. Culled from multiple conversations with the Dalai Lama, these anecdotes, messages, and meditations are intended as both a temporary balm and as a possible path to enlightenment. Divided into three primary sections: I, Us, and Them, Violence versus Dialogue, and Happiness in a Troubled World, the fluid narrative attempts to address and assuage all the most pressing twenty-first-century issues. As the authors are articulating an essentially positive message and the Nobel Prizewinning Dalai Lama commands almost universal respect and reverence, expect broad appeal among people who subscribe to a variety of faiths and philosophies.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)