Art of Happiness

A Happiness Self Help Book Review

In the Art of Happiness by the Dalai Lama and Howard Cutler, Howard Cutler intersperses transcripts from his interviews with the Dalai Lama with his own experiences applying the teachings and lessons.

The purpose of life is to seek happiness. ~ Dalai Lama

The book starts with the Dalai Lama’s assertion that happiness is the purpose of life and then goes on to explain how we can use Buddhist principals to increase our own level of happiness. The techniques are deceptively simple and easy for anyone to apply at any time.

Like modern books on positive psychology, this book centers on how we choose to perceive and react to what happens to us. Although the book includes several meditation exercises, these meditations are more like thought exercises and do not require previous meditation experience or skill.

Happiness can be achieved through the systematic training of our hearts and minds, through reshapping our attitudes and outlook.
~ Dalai Lama

The interplay between the Dalai Lama’s gentle and delightful approach to life and Howard Cutler’s Western analysis and questioning is very helpful. It is easy to dismiss the Dalai Lama’s teachings as idealistic and exotic- nice to know, but not really relevant to me. Yet Howard Cutler provides some of the Dalai Lama’s history which shows the power and effectiveness of these teachings. He explores his own inner conflicts and thoughts as he puts the Dalai Lama’s ideas into practice. His insights show just how relevant these techniques and ideas are to anyone anywhere in the world from any culture.

When we feel love and kindness toward others, it not only makes others feel loved and cared for, but it helps us also to develop inner happiness and peace.
~ Dalai Lama

The Art of Happiness is a thoughtful and gentle book that covers everything you need to know to increase your level of happiness lastingly and through every aspect of your life. It includes everything you need in a self help book delivered in a very different tone than the typical perky and analytic style of most self help books. Plus, this is the only book on happiness written by a Nobel Peace Prize winner.

It is our suffereing that is the most basic element that we share with others, the factor that unifies us with all living creatures.
~ Dalai Lama

Practical- 5/5
Easy to Read- 4/5
Comprehensive- 4/5
Good How to Guide- 5/5
Well Researched/Referenced- 5/5
Inspiring- 5/5
Overall- 5/5

You might also be interested in these quotes by the Dalai Lama.

It is our suffereing that is the most basic element that we share with others, the factor that unifies us with all living creatures.
~ Dalai Lama

The Dalai Lama has collaborated with several other authors on dozens of other books. Each collaborator approaches the Dalai Lama from a different perspective and with different questions, yet the spiritual approach remains the same. Although he is articulate, well educated and well based in the sciences, and the spiritual leader of Tibet, what makes the advice from the Dalai Lama so compelling is that fact that he has lived it. He has survived attack, excile, the slaughter of his own people and priests, and the challenging life of a world leader, yet through it all his actions and philosphy remain peaceful and loving to all living creatures.

Other great books by the Dalai Lama include: