10th Anniversary Edition - A Handbook for Living - The Art of Happiness

I've looked through some of the other reviews of this book here on this website before reading the book. I was surprised by the negative comments about the author (Dr. Howard Cutler)! But, as I read further into the book, I began to understand why.

I do feel that the author did us a service by collecting the words of the Dalai Lama. The author's pointed questions provided good launch points for responses. Also, the collection of the Dalai Lama's words from his seminars in Arizona were also of interest. Finally, the author's presentation of these concepts was logical and useful. In short, the author's questions were not the inane badgering of Carlos Casteneda to Don Juan.

However, where the author lost my vote was in his interpretations of the Dalai Lama. Also, I began to skim through the "extras" in between the Dalai Lama's words, then later I just skipped the author's writings completely. Although the author was augmenting and delving into the words of the Dalai Lama, I found that I understood the Dalai Lama without additional interpretation. His words were sincere and relevant enough without supplementary arguments.

So, I really tried to keep an open mind to the author, but in truth, about 25% through the book, I just ignored him. That all said, I found the principles and concepts from the Dalai Lama to be amazing! I still give the book 4 stars.

The Dalai Lama talks straight and delivers gems. He doesn't enshroud his wisdom is parables or mystery or secrets--he just tells it like it is. This approach is refreshing. He delivers concepts that are simple, useful, and once you think about it, obvious. Although there is some repetitiveness of the concepts, I found this to be an aid in instruction. I thought of it more as reminders of the principles--the building blocks for getting us to happiness.

This book was my second introduction to the Dalai Lama. I must admit that I am impressed, especially by his delivery. I feel like I could hang with this guy. He's funny, real, and sincere. I want people like that around me.

An awesome book!
I'm used to read fairly quickly, for once I took my time listening to the stories told between the Dalai Lama and the American psychiatrist Howard C. Cutler.

Absolutely brilliant, this book is appreciated for its anecdotes about his holiness as well as for its explanations about happiness, suffering, pain, compassion that the Dalai Lama teaches to the reader.

Very modern, the dialogues are alive and made you think.
You wonder, you try to open yourself to views sometimes opposing to yours.

I really enjoyed having the Eastern views of Western practices. I also enjoyed the lack of judgment and the curiosity of this holy man. I like Howard C. Cutler's questions. He brings his professional expertise and practical ideas to try to understand the concepts of the Tibetan spiritual leader and to put them into practice.

Very curious about Buddhism lately, this book enlightened me and has especially given me a form of joy, good humor and hope.

A book that will stay with me for a long time and I will open it again, happily, when I will have the need of a kick in the ass! :-)
Wonderful trip!

Lucie

I read this book a few months ago. It is an excellent text. Perhaps a bit too simplistic at times. But excellent. Written by a therapist, it is very basic stuff. In fact, the Dali Lama seems more like a cognitive-behavioral therapist here. The author seems to be trying to connect Tibetan Buddhism with Western Psychology. He does so real well. But he doesn't go as deep as he could.
The best point the Dali Lama makes is the one of "Mental Projections". This really goes deeper than as stated here. Allow me to elaborate. Everything around you is being seen as existing by itself. Your computer. The screen. But they are not. They blend into everything else. When we apply this ignorance to other people; the results can be upsetting. We see a JERK. We see a BITCH, We see a BAD GUY. If we look at humans; they are multi-dimensional. They have a thousand facets; but our minds apply labels in order to grossly simplify. As the Dali Lama points out, there are probably good facets to every criminal that ever existed. But it is our minds that make a mental projection and label them AS EXISTING IN THEMSELVES. We really don't see anything. But we can approximate a little sanity in our labels. The author really goes after this because of the parallels in cognitive science. Everything is an interpretation. Now buy the book; but only if you really want it. There are simply too many books out there. And few ever get fully digested. Thank you.

[edit]

I genuinely loved this book, I needed something to help me see things in my life to be happy about without creating any circumstances. We have so much to be happy about and it is so easy to loose our happiness to life's day to day changes. This book helped me establish a source of happiness in my life I can never forget. This book should be on the shelves of any person interested in living a genuinely happy life.

I started studying Buddhism a few years ago and really it has changed my life for the better. Most of the problems I experience center around work. Dealing with the personalities in the corporate world and how people tend to forget we are all human and that none of us are gods (regardless of how much money we make and our job titles) is at the root of many of my issues. The book opens with the Dalai Lama pointing this out--that we are all human beings regardless of our differences. He approaches all people the same way--as human beings.

Since I was raised in a struggling working class family we found other things (other than money and status) to create happiness. So, working in a corporate environment where everyone seems to be greedy is quite a culture shock to me. I read this book before, but having to slave so hard to get a 10% raise (something that allowed me to better take care of my family) really made me want to get back into not only studying Buddhism, but applying its tennants to my life again. I think that although this is NOT a how to book, the reader has to basically "get it" and "read between the lines" to be able to walk away with something after reading the book. For example, the book mentions that we can find happiness by doing more of the things that have brought us happiness in the past and less of the things that do or have not brought us happiness. Well, that's a no-brainer, but the Western mind tends to lean towards having more, more, more (money, status, bigger car or house) as a means to finding happiness. My sister and I, who are both doing well financially tend to lean toward our past where since we didn't have much money we had to choose between walking to the ice cream store or paying for the bus ride to get us there, for example. We improvised and we'd walk to get ice cream and walk back all the while taking in the sights and sounds of summer. In all of our material achievements, that is what we have found to be our happiness. This is what this book teaches. It doesn't come right out and say it, but I assure you that this will not be the last time I read this book.

I recommned to anyone to have some insight when reading the book. Sometimes the search for meaning in and of itself is the reward. That search may be what brings you peace.

The subtitle and attributions of this book are not accurate:

*This book is not a handbook. That's actually a positive, because the path to happiness differs for each individual.

*This book's cover attributes the book to the Dalai Lama "and Howard C. Butler, M.D." In fact, Dr. Butler wrote the book. In first person.

I'm not sure the title is correct, either. The book isn't on the art of happiness per se. This book should be titled, "My Commentary on Interviews with the Dalai Lama." An appropriate subtitle might be, "We discussed elements of happiness."

The book does contain excellent advice and insights. But contrary to the subtitle's implied promise, it doesn't provide a program for reaching a state of happiness. The author does describe some exercises, but as a third party observer watching the Dalai Lama take an audience through them. That's not the same as a "handbook" that would explain exercises and organize them into some kind of useful structure.

The author's obviously false modesty is annoying. Unless he got his PhD by mail order, his anecdotes about his lack of mental acuity are not believable. It would have served the reader better if he'd contrasted a "difficult" Buddhist concept against related Western concepts. Or, in keeping with the bar we set for PhDs, he could have just explained why the concept might be misunderstood or not apparent. I think, instead, he was pandering to an imagined reader about whom he made assumptions that are not necessarily so.

Overall, though, the book is worth reading. After all, we are getting a glimpse of one of the world's spiritual and religious leaders. We get his thoughts on some interesting. perhaps life-changing, questions.

Dr. Cutler does communicate to the reader what the Dalai Lama recommends for individuals to find their own path to happiness. He also discusses some common mistakes and why those end up as dead ends.

I think if you're struggling with trying to make sense of life, or you find yourself not very happy as you go through each day, this book can help you figure out how to climb out of the pit. But it's not a manual that will tell you where the handholds are on the way up. From the Dalai Lama's comments, it's clear he doesn't think such a manual is possible. Not that I'm an expert, but it so happens I agree with him.

This is easily my favorite book. I bought it when the very first edition came out in hardback (it must have been 10 years ago), and I subsequently purchased the Kindle edition and audiobook. I have probably read it or listened to it at least 20 times, and I learn something new from it every time.

What I love about this book is that it isn't just about putting on a happy face. It explains, from a Buddhist perspective, step-by-step how to gain happiness. it is laid out in a logical fashion that's easy to follow, and the Dalai Lama does an excellent job of answering some tough questions. Whether you're a Buddhist, a Christian, an athiest or whatever, his answers make sense. And get this: when he doesn't know the answer, he admits it rather than telling you to put your faith in Buddha. He doesn't even tell you that Buddhism is the only path to happiness. If you're a Christian and not a Buddhist, you've got his full support!

I had no notions of what Buddhism was like before reading this book, believing it to mostly be a requirement for ritualistic chanting. This book was a surprising eye opener, not only providing me a glimpse into the true nature of Buddhism, but also providing a number of practical tips for life improvement.

I was very impressed by what I understood to be the basic idea of Buddhism by my reading of this book: that one should strive for happiness, actively and thoughtfully eliminating those factors that take one from that path. In my opinion, the simplicity of this idea is its strength.

There are a number of other ideas presented that are integrated with this approach of happiness driven life. Examples are the building of compassion, dealing with anger, hatred and anxiety, and techniques such as shift of perspective. Even though I expect this book really only touches the surface of Buddhism, there are enough ideas here that are new that I'd expect many western cultured people could profit from an open minded read of even this introductory book. I plan to read it at least one more time, and perhaps purchase a copy for myself permanently instead of re-borrowing this book from the library once again.

Time and time again as I read this book I was impressed with the personality of the Dali Lama. He sets an amazing example to mankind, but it is an example built of many small things. There were a number of anecdotes, recalling or describing some compassionate handling of somebody he blundered across in his travels. That one could spend a lifetime consistently demonstrating such compassion is somewhat overwhelming. I think that if he was asked about this, he would stress that the key is doing this one act at a time, and that in isolation no such single act should be overwhelming.

A fantastic read, both in hearing directly the teachings of the Dalai Lama, and the more scientific take of Dr. Cutler.

I picked this up a couple of years ago, and have slowly read it when the moment strikes. I'm sure it would have more of an impact if you read it in one sitting, but it still rouses a desire for self-improvement if taken in moderate doses.

Now, I'll be frank (you can be whomever you like, fear not) - I'm not a big fan of self-help books. New Age Spirtuality? Bleh. I'd rather read a gore-fuelled nightmare than read about chanelling my energy and preaching to rocks. Despite this, I found this to be a very engaging title, and one that makes you think.

In North America, we're a product of our psyches, and often bend to their wills without knowing it. Think about it - you think of all the work you have to do when you get home from work, so you get tired. Really tired. But stop - take a second, why? Well, because you're thinking of how tired you're going to be. Are you tired now? No.

As soon as the realization comes, you're not all that tired anymore. Not looking forward to the work ahead, but at the moment - nah, you're pretty much alright.

The Dalai Lama thinks happiness works much in the same way. Think about happiness, and search for it. Make it a conscious thing, rather than an abstract idea, nice to talk about when it's absent - or seemingly so - from your day.

In any case, pick it up. Quite enlightening, really.

Everyone wants to be happy and no one wants to suffer. But how to achieve happiness and how to relieve oneself of suffering? For that matter, what are happiness and suffering?

Happiness for the Dalai Lama is a calm, imperturbable state of mind while suffering is a disturbed state of mind.

But happiness does not just happen, the mind must be trained to be happy. We do this by developing our positive emotions and qualities and letting go of our negative ones. Love, compassion, and empathy are positive, while hate and anger are negative.

Happiness comes from having compassion and empathy for others and for yourself. We are all different, says the Dalai Lama. He his an exiled Tibetan Buddhist monk, I am an unemployed Canadian banker but as different as we are we both want to be happy and we both want to avoid suffering, and because we share these two traits we can empathize with each other and with each single person on the planet.

Suffering is unavoidable in life and repressing it makes it worse, for instance when mourning the loss of a loved one. Best to accept a moment of suffering and move on, but being careful not to mull over it for too long to the point where it interferes with our lives. Another way to alleviate suffering is to give it meaning. For instance, suffering allows one to empathize with other people who also suffer and feel a moment of intimacy with the world.

Achieving happiness isn't much more complicated than that, but that doesn't make the task easy. Most of us can walk but we'd be discouraged at the mere thought of having to walk 100 kilometers. Happiness is simple to achieve, but it requires repeated effort.

The real author of this book is Howard Cutler but the Dalai Lama is his inspiration and the primary source of much of the material. Many of the lessons are given in a Buddhist context but Cutler justifies every idea with results from psychiatric research. We are left with what Cutler calls Basic Spirituality.

Vincent Poirier, Tokyo

Review of:
The Art of Happiness by The Dalai Lama and Howard C. Cutler

This book is considered a handbook for living that contains possible solutions to many problems in life such as how to deal with anger, sorrow, and remorse and many other negative feelings. Howard C. Cutler in this book poses a number of questions people generally have and paraphrases the responses of the Dalai Lama and also gives his own opinion on the solution. The Dalai Lama believes that the goal and purpose of life is to be happy and he offers many simple solutions to overcome negative feelings and achieve a state of happiness through practicing Buddhist philosophies. On a more general scale, Howard C. Cutler talks about the science behind those techniques and what he as a psychiatrist do to help his patients achieve a happier life. Basically, he paraphrases what the Dalai Lama says into a more understandable format.
This is claimed to be a "handbook for living", but there are no simple lists of procedures of how to achieve happiness. If you are expecting simple instructions to become more happy, then this is NOT the book for you. This book contains simple Buddhist principles given by the Dalai Lama in which Howard Cutler paraphrases and applies psychology to the principle to break it down. However, there are a few meditation exercises in which the Dalai Lama walks you through. Supposedly, with practice, you can achieve happiness by being able to see things from another perspective. Aside from that, most of the book is Howard Cutler talking about his opinion and his own experiences after every interview with the Dalai Lama. Coincidently, most of what he experiences closely coincides with what he talked about in his interviews.
There is not much Dalai Lama sections in this book aside from a few quotes here and there. However, those quotes contain so much depth that they balance off the small number of them. Although Howard Cutler talks for most of the book, the profound philosophy of the Dalai Lama somewhat brings the content of the book to an equilibrium. A little bit of deep Buddhist principles and a whole lot of common psychology theories. You as the reader must then do the reading and digest the exchange of ideas between Cutler and Dalai Lama in order to really understand the principles and theories.
The most fascinating part about this book is the few times when the Dalai Lama tells a story about his past experiences. There are a few chapters in which it starts by having the Dalai Lama tell a story and Howard Cutler finishing it off with his own experiences and views. At some points, don't be surprised that you are skimming for quotations from the Dalai Lama and sections dedicated to the Dalai Lama for his words. The way Howard Cutler talks about the Dalai Lama's principles is like when you listen to a song when you recorded it from a radio. The quality suffers drastic loss and even if it is the exact same material, it just sounds bad. Simply put, Cutler paraphrases the Dalai Lama, but does not add to the ideas and actually cause a loss of depth to what the Lama said. I mean, he included the parts where the Dalai Lama's assistant hint that time is up for the interview. Maybe to imply that he had limited time and that is the reason why the book may not contain a lot of dialogues by the Dalai Lama.
In all the repetition of information by Cutler, the Dalai Lama is actually able to reach the audience through his limited dialogue. I guess this is a natural ability of the Dalai Lama to be able to talk to people on all different levels of trying to achieve happiness. Cutler's dilution of the dense Buddhist beliefs may not be such a bad thing after all. You will notice that when you read, but ultimately, the amount of digested and regurgitated information he gives actually equals to what the Dalai Lama is trying to tell the audience. I would recommend this book despite the limited amount of the Dalai Lama. However, the amount of whoever talking in the book does not matter, it is the knowledge you get from your read. I myself, who had no idea WHAT HAPPINESS was prior to reading this book, learned a great deal about HOW TO achieve happiness. If you don't mind reading about a guy's personal opinion on the Dalai Lama's Buddhist principles, then this is a good starters for your quest to achieve happiness.

Same to be said as for the Art of Happiness in a Troubled World.

If you look carefully at the cover, you'll see that the Dalai Lama is not the sole author of the book. the store credits the Dalai Lama as the sole author. But it does not appear that it is even a collaboration.

This is one of the only books I've seen where the so-called principal author's contributions are everywhere enclosed in quote marks. This seems to be a book on Cutler's interviews with the Dalai Lama where the real author (Cutler) is usurped on the front cover and in the stores by the much more famous interviewee. It is not a book that I find has any meaningful participation by the Dalai Lama except for being interviewed.

I will say that Cutler's contribution based on his thoughts on DL's words are interesting and well written.

Cutler seems to be churning out a bunch of Dalai Lama interviews that the marketeers are ascribing to the Dalai Lama.

This book is based on Dalai Lama's teachings and is written by his follower Howard Cutler. It dwelves into the Buddhist philosophy of how happiness can be built thru a calm, satisfied and a compassionate mind which can be trained to to absorb unavoidable suffering. It is all about training the mind to be happy and stable and under control. It comes as a rude awakening to most western minds which are tuned to want and aggressive behavior, and riding a roller coaster of positive and negative emotions.

Happiness is how we perceive our situation, and how satisfied we are with what we have. If our wants and desires remain unchecked, sooner or later we will run up against something that we want but cannot have. For example, Christopher Reeve trained himself to be happy with the use of his mind which he had. He did not get depressed about rest of his body which did not function. Happiness is stable and persistent, despite life's ups and downs and normal fluctuations of the mind.

Anger, jealousy, and hate are negative states of mind, while compassion, kindness, and warmness are positive states. Mind has to be trained to distinguish between healthy, wholesome states and unhealthy unwholesome states. And to gravitate towards wholesome state. Compassion can be defined in terms of a state of mind that is non-violent, non harming, non aggressive. Being compassionate towards other people does not mean developing an attachment. An example is of Josef Stalin who he became increasingly suspicious of others. His fearfulness and suspiciousness of others essentially led to massive purges. The more ruthless and powerful he became, the more unhappy he was.

Suffering is a natural fact of human existence. While some kinds are inevitable, other kinds are self created. By being overly sensitive, over reacting to minor things, and sometimes taking things personally. Thru constant brooding, we make our emotions more intense and powerful. Unhappiness is always to feel oneself imprisoned in one's skin, in one's own brain. The concept of impermanence plays a central role in Buddhist thought. This leads to the fact that life involves constant change. Acceptance of change can lead to reduction of self created suffering. Acceptance of change as a natural part of our interactions with others, can play a vital role in our relationships. Suffering is the most basic element that we share with others, the factor that unifies us with all living creatures. Excessive expectation without a proper foundation leads to problems. By the same token, without expectation and hope, without aspiration, there can be no progress. We need to strike a balance between the two.

The last part is about anger management. We might face situations like nasty behavior a traffic jam. The injury and harm has already been caused. By becoming angry, it will only create additional suffering. Enduring temporary discomfort will avoid potentially dangerous long term consequences. Patience and tolerance are antidotes here. It is more sensible to spend the energy on a solution rather than worrying about the problem. If there is no solution, then there is no point worrying anyway.

I bought this book about 7 years ago, not from the store. Don't waste your money. Trite, predictable pap. You can read the same things in any Oprah magazine and get more useful information at the same time. I was dissapointed--I thought he would have much deeper understanding of the human condition. Once I more recently heard him in an interview talk about how "women don't have leadership qualities" I knew I had made the correct assessment of the depth of his understanding. (And I'm not even a "feminist" although I am a retired attorney who was very successful in education and business, as well as psychology.)

I agree with a lot of other viewers on the glaring defects of this book: most of it was not written by the Dalai Lama, Cutler is an average at best psychologist and most of the themes come from Western traditions and not Tibetan ones. What saves the book from being dismissed as pseudo-intellectual pop psychology garbage is that there are a few gems of insight in it. I agree with the fundamental argument of this book: that relationships with others is what makes other people happy. Semiotic relationships that are based on really liking and connecting with the other give people lasting joy. If you are having conflicts in the relationship, you should reflect on what the basis of the relationship is. Is it physical attraction? That is a temporary phenomena. Is it power, wealth and status? You relationship will disappear when your power, wealth and status disappears or changes. Having a relationship with deeper meaning will last and will lead to enduring joy.

The Dalai Lama is almost certainly the most sought after writer/teacher on Buddhism in the world to date. Every book he writes seems to make it's way to the top of bestseller lists, which isn't much of a surprise; after all, he's a great teacher and a figure whom the world saw victimized at the hands of Communist China's late leader Mao Tse-tung. His efforts for peace are well known and recognized the world over. The wonderful thing about this particular book, The Art of Happiness, is that (as is often the case) he is able to attract readers of all sorts of religious backgrounds. You do not have to be just Buddhist to understand what he has to say here.
This undoubtedly is a "Handbook for Living" as the title suggests to all of us. To some of us whom are more familiar with complex and highly difficult literature titled "Self Help," the Dalai Lama's answers might seem a little bit simplistic. One of the central themes recurring in this book is embracing difficulty, a suggestion we all may have heard before. This is somewhat like a text that allows psychology and Buddhism to intermingle with one another without conflict, a trait which should attract plenty in the professional counseling field; I say that because this book handles issues like depression, building strong relationships, having a good family life, working on your anger and envy.
Okay, so this book might be impossible to live 100%, but it nevertheless provides us all with very good aspirations to strive for. The only thing required of us here is placing forth the effort and, when that task is completed, we will surely find our life in much better order. Even most of the old and modern philosophers will agree with the Dalai Lama on the following point: Happiness is the point of life. And like the Epicureans believed, this does not always mean seeking out apparent pleasure! The key of course is the Middle Way, which the Buddha Shakyamuni set forth (and lived by) for each and every one of us. Not too tight, and not too loose; that's the basic tenet this book follows, and rightfully so. So whether you are Christian, Moslem, Hindu, Jewish, and yes Buddhist, this book can enrich and strengthen your spiritual lives. So come buy the book, have a conversation with His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

Core idea: The Dalai Lama believes that the pursuit of happiness is important. Unhappy people are often more self-focused, antagonistic and less able to tolerate life's daily frustrations. At this moment we have a mind, which is all the basic equipment we need to achieve complete happiness: we don't need more money, success, etc. University experiments showed that people can increase or decrease their sense of life satisfaction by changing their perspective (after being showed pictures of harsh living situations).

The Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, is the spiritual leader of millions of Tibetan Buddhists. Born in 1935 as the son of a peasant family in northeastern Tibet, he has been exiled and living in India since the Chinese invaded Tibet in 1950. In 1989 the Dalai Lama won the Nobel Peace prize for his worldwide mission in search of a peaceful solution to the Chinese repression of Tibet. The title `Dalai Lama' means teacher whose wisdom is as vast as the ocean. This book is an excellent overview of some of the main ideas of Buddhism along with the Dalai Lama's advice on a variety of topics. Howard Cutler does a good job of asking penetrating questions and translating the answers.

A classic spirituality book.

By sheer coincidence, this is the second book in a row I have read (following "People of the Lie" by M. Scott Peck) where psychiatry and spirituality come together to bring practical insight into the human condition. In "The Art of Happiness" Howard C. Cutler, psychiatrist, conducts a series of interviews over time with the Dalai Lama in order to discuss the most universal of human interests ... how to achieve happiness.

I won't begin to try to sum up the various techniques and concepts that are discussed in this book. I will say that I found reading the book to be uplifting, enjoyable and fascinating. The Dalai Lama is not a religious figure who commands respect from either intimidation or pomp and circumstance. He comes across as warm, friendly, nurturing and flexible enough to look at complex issues from various points of view, without ever resorting to defensiveness or dogma. And although Cutler's commentary is never as interesting as the Dalai Lama's own words, this book provides an excellent opportunity for the beginning of a dialogue between western psychology and eastern spirituality. Although I had read another book by the Dalai Lama a decade ago, I really consider this book to be my first real introduction to him, and I'm inspired and curious to learn more about the man and his teachings.

I came to this book not expecting much. I knew the book was the product of an American psychiatrist, Dr. Cutler, rather than an actual text writtin by the Dalai Lama. In fact, the book is based upon a series of interviews between Dr. Cutler and the Dalai Lama over several years in the United States and In Dharmasala, India, the home of the Tibetan Govenment in exile.

In addition to my doubts about the authenticity of the book, I also feared the book would be a self-help book, sometimes referred to under the rubric a "feel good" book.

I was pleasantly surprised. The book speaks in simple terms but it is far from superficial. The character and the teaching of the Dalai Lama, I think, come through its pages even though it is the author who is recounting the Dalai Lama's teachings from his notes and even though the Dalai Lama's interpreter, not the Dalai Lama himself, reviewed the final product. The Dalai Lama comes through as a wise, thoughtful but simple monk with a sense of humor, modesty, and self-effacement. His simplicity, and his ability to relate to people of different backgrounds and religious traditions, are the mark of wisdom, coming from a spiritual leader who is all to often in the glare of the public limelight and who of necessity functions as a political leader as well.

The Dalai Lama presents teachings on the nature of the human heart -- it is essentially pure and good -- the desires and angers and ignorance which present us from realizing goodness and happiness- and teachings and methods to ease the path to happiness. Although the teachings are presented simply, no claim is made that the realization is simple. There are teachings on romantic love which may not appeal to Westerners (the Dalai Lama finds it essentially selfish), but much good material on the psychology of the mind and emotions, controlling negative tendencies, the universal nature of the human heart, and most importantly, trying to conduct oneself to DO NO HARM to anyone else.

The tone of the book is mostly psychological with very little of the specific teachings of Tibetan Buddhism.

I thought the final chapter on spritual development was the most valuable and eloquent portion of the book. The Dalai Lama talks about the different creeds, Eastern and Western, that he had come to know with his exile from Tibet. He finds that believers in these religions, regardless of how different they may appear on the surface, can find peace and happiness by following their teachings. For those unable to believe, a secular philosophy can likewise lead to peace and happiness through learning to control the mind.

Very simple and profound teachings from a person who is indeed a wise teacher for our times.

I couldn't help but to write a few more words regarding the recurring debate on the part of Howard Cutler's work in this book.
For those who are critical about Cutler's writing and case studies, put yourself into the shoes of a Western trained psychiatrist with strong background in psychoanalysis. You've been working all your life in this profession. How easy is it to take in the Eastern philosophy wholesale without a single question? Eastern mindset takes all master teachings for granted and would not raise a single question. Western training emphasise on critical thinking.
What we are reading in the book is a blend of the two. On one hand, we are reading the stories of the Dalai Lama and his speeches/teachings/elaborations - which some of us take it for granted as something should not be questioned; on the other hand, there are readers who are not familiar with the concept of buddhism and seek ways to try an grasp the ideas - to them (probably through the eyes of Cutler) the questions raised will help answer many questions which some buddhists dare not to ask.
If you read the book from a Eastern perspective and expect something that is more Oriental in nature, you would come out saying that Cutler has unnecessarily taken a negative stance towards the teachings. If you read the book from a Western perspective, you probably would come out thinking that there's a great deal of intriguing insights and healthy dialogues probing the philosophy of the East from a Western perspective.
The way to appreciate this book is, to me, to separate the quotations and Cutler's comments mentally when reading it. Each one would have their own uniquely different contribution to the understanding of happiness (one from the East and the other from the West). Then, put the two together mentally and you will find the book to be a very enjoyable read. It is a good way to train yourself to switch perspective and attitudes and take on a different views on the same subject.

the Dalai Lama states, “All major religions encourage compassion, love, forgiveness, and harmony.” This happy spiritual state he calls “the goal in one’s life. He explains that “happiness is the goal in life’s journey, and peace by way of acceptance and compromise is the way to Buddhahood,” a play on the word “brotherhood.” Just listening to his voice can calm the waters of the soul. Highly suggested. From: The author of: From Hypercritical Thinking to Happiness

"The Art of Happiness" is a treatise on the seemingly simple process of living a happy life that is based on numerous interviews that co-author, Dr. Howard Cutler (a psychologist), conducted with the Dalai Lama. Responding to a series of question posed by Dr. Cutler the Dalai Lama offers practical advice on how to understand the elusive nature of happiness and on how to obtain it.
The Dalai Lama's advice is simple but hardly rigid or superficial like most self-help programs. And while the Dalai Lama's insite is largely based on his understanding of the Buddhist tradition, it is hardly religious in nature. For example, when the Dalai Lama proposes a method for coping with with one's enemies or daily misfortunes he explains how the solution might work for a Buddhist, a Christian, or a rational secularist. His goal, it seems it not to prosletize people (indeed, Buddhism is hardly a prosletizing religion) but to provide a solution that is universally applicable to most belief systems. On many occassions Dr. Cutler challenges the Dalai Lama's approach and finds him all to willing to make a critical examination of his own beliefs.
While this book provides an abundance of useful advice, a few of the Dalai Lama's points particularly resonated with me. For example, the Dalai Lama suggests that we should dedicate ourselves to our own happiness with the same enthusiasm as building a family or with the same ambition as advancing our career. He is quick to point out that unlike the mere pursuit of pleasure, happiness is hardly a selfish quest. When we are happy we tend to have a more saluatary effect on others. When we are miserable we easily make others miserable.
More than anything else, the Dalai Lama urges us to approach life with a supple mind. For example, when we focus on how much someone has wronged us, we tend to be too rigid and we miss the complete picture. The chances are that that person has some redeeming qualities and that something in our own personality helped contribute to the situation. Similarly, the Dalai Lama suggests that we look at misfortune as more than just misfortune. When bad things happen to us, they also provide us with some form of opportunity. For example, while he is saddened by loss of his country and by the suffering of his people, the Dalai Lama also rejoices in the fact that life in exile allows him to shed protocal and communicate with people from all over the world.
I know that a lot of people found Dr. Cutler's narrative an intrusive part of this book. While Dr. Cutler is something of a bumbler who gets carried away with his descriptions of the sunset, I found his contribution to this book appropriate and helpful. Through several personal examples, Dr. Cutler points out that appreciating the Dalai Lama's advice is simple enough but actually applying it to one's life is a bit more challenging.

Actually I give 5 stars for the Dalai Lama's words, and 3 perhaps for Cutler's. Cutler's attempt to fuse Western psychology with ancient Buddhist tenets is unconvincing, but his respect and admiration for His Holiness is never in doubt. However, Cutler may have unwittingly put himself in an unfavorable light, as the Dalai Lama's words have such an eloquent simplicity that Cutler cannot but fail to match - through no fault of his own actually. His Holiness has such an inborn grace and wisdom that can stand on its own - he needs no "assistance", really. Nevertheless, Cutler's efforts are well worth any trivial shortcomings, as this book is required reading for all those wishing to seek inner contentment. If that sounds like an overly lofty idea, it is surprising to realize, via this book, how relatively simple and gratifying such a pursuit can be. It is a neurotic notion that happiness is elusive; it is something we've all a right to have. Somehow, we're taught that happiness is "bad" because the world is "bad" as subscribed to by scads of those addle-brained, so-called philosophic pessimists such as Freud, Russell, Nietzsche, Schopenhauer, Sartre, and all their ilk. These wretched men focused solely on the LIMITATIONS of mankind, while the Dalai Lama rightly believes in the inherent POSSIBILITIES of our race, and that is what makes this book so priceless.

I was never a fan of the genre that promises to totally change your life and make you a better, successful, person. I always felt, and I still do, that no book can achieve such a transformation on its own; such a feat requires the reader's total commitment, and it takes more than a book to do that.
However, I did buy this one. It happened after an extensive browsing session at a book store, when I noticed that large portions of the book resemble my own personal conclusions about how to live life to its fullest; in fact, certain parts seemed like direct quotes of my own words. Naturally, my curiosity was aroused to the point I just had to read the book.
And I'm happy I did, because although the book did not add too much I didn't already know, it did help me reaffirm my beliefs. The fact someone else thinks the same way I do is reassurance on its own, but when the reason and motivation for every conclusion is explained, it makes for a much more convincing grasp of the ideas.
Therefore, I warmly recommend the book. It might save someone the rigorous path of trial and error I had to face until started feeling happy with myself, and that's not something to easily dismiss. The fact most of the principles are easy to "digest" and practice will help make the book your personal success story.
Still, I have my reservations. First, the book tends to go to great lengths explaining its ideas, and usually these lengths are too long. Second, most of the book is not made of direct quotes from the Dalai Lama, as one might expect; not that there's anything wrong with that, it's just that one may get the wrong impression after reading the cover. And third, although the Dalai Lama provides reasoning for the religious as well as for the atheists, I think he places too much importance in religion (yet I am aware I am at a minority on this).
Overall, the book is an interesting read. And who knows, it might change your life, even though it is just a book.

This book and "Healing Anger" have pretty much the same content, so don't buy both. "Healing Anger" is organized in the form of eight talks and question-and-answer sessions over a four day period, whereas "The Art of Happiness" is organized topically. For this reason "The Art of Happiness" may be easier to use if you are interested in exploring particular topics. The downside of "The Art of Happiness" for me was Howard Cutler. I found his additions to what the Dalai Lama has to say didn't bring much value. What I was looking for in both books was mental exercises, and these are found in "Healing Anger" in each of the eight sessions in between the talk and the Q&A, so these are easier to find in "Healing Anger". I was a bit disappointed that neither book contained detailed treatments of some of the exercises referred to, such as the "seven-point cause and effect" and "equalization and exchange". These can be found on the internet by googling "Developing the Mind of Great Capacity (Shambhala Sun)".

I originally bought this for my wife, over a decade ago. She read it and then bought in on cassettes. We listened to it every night before going to bed as a way to end the day on a positive note. We wore the tape out and it helped us both relax into a very meditative state and we were not meditating. I bought it again in CD form and then bought it again for my kindle to listen to on those days when I the philosophy and deeper insight his Holliness shares with us. His teachings have helped me deal with many of lifes stressful and emotionally challenged moments, to include bad marriages (past, not present) betrayal of friends, family, and business partners, and it has helped me understand that its up to me as to how those peopel will effect my life. Compassion for others is always a better choice than revenge or evening the score. Forgiveness over holding a grudge. This coming from a former Marine.

The Art of Happiness is a beautiful book that dives deep into one’s soul, questioning and challenging your beliefs. Broken down into five parts “The Purpose of Life,” “Human Warmth and Compassion,” “Transforming Suffering,” “Overcoming Obstacles,” and “Closing Reflections on Living a Spiritual Life”; The Art of Happiness lays out a road map for those seeking happiness. If there is one thing you should take away from the Dalai Lama’s words of wisdom it should be the following: “State of Mind.” As confusing as it may be “State of Mind” represents everything the Dalai Lama was trying to communicate to his audience. In order to achieve happiness one must be aware of their state of mind. If you question what state of mind means to you this is a book you should definitely read.

My fellow readers if you look at the field where you select the number of stars you are rating the book not the comments that other readers have made about it. Personally, I enjoyed reading this book. This was the first book about the basic Buddhist beliefs that I have read so far and it made me want to find out more about this fascinating religion. It also made me realize a few things about myself. And, although the book was not terribly interesting (a little dry at times), and the good doctor played the "devil's advocate" a little much, it was an interesting comparison of eastern and western philosophy and psychology.
Now, for those of you with all the negative, political, and opinionated comments (I will keep this review PG), get your heads out of the clouds and read the book again, but this time keep a little bit more of an open mind. Confucius once said, "It is hard to search for a black cat in a dark room, especially if the cat is not there." Not everything you read has to have an angle. Try to take the words in this book for what they are, you will live a much longer and happier life.
Stay sane.

Always one to be skeptical of these kinds of collaborative book efforts, I think it's important to point out that "The Art of Happiness" was written not by the Dalai Lama, but by Howard C. Cutler, M.D., a psychiatrist. Dr. Cutler weaves together exerpts from numerous conversations with His Holiness spanning many years, and from public talks given by the Dalai Lama throughout Arizona in 1993. The result is an enjoyable and enlightening treatise on a topic of widespread importance: happiness (or the lack thereof).
The book begins by establishing a datum with respect to the purpose of life and the nature of human drives and emotions, and moves on to the overcoming of suffering, anger, hatred and anxiety. Dr. Cutler assumes the position of middleman in passing on to the reader many words of wisdom and by asking the Dalai Lama questions we ourselves might ask as to how to apply Buddhist practices to western society's efforts toward achieving a satisfying, stress-free life. It's a good formula. Dr. Cutler asks the right questions in getting the Dalai Lama to move beyond spiritual edicts, and elaborate on a kind of "westernized methodology" (my words) we can try in attempting to enhance our own emotional well-being. I found the many comparisons between eastern religious practice and western clinical treatment to be very interesting.
If you're after involved, thought-provoking discussions about the intellectual view of relationships and emotional conflicts, this book might come up a little short (read instead "Happiness is a Serious Problem," by Dennis Prager). Still, the wisdom and level-headed composure of the Dalai Lama that Dr. Cutler brings out puts this book high on my recommended list.

The book was really long and just didn't compare to the Book of Joy. I found myself getting to be too overwhelmed with the amount of words and the lack of speed with which the book moved.
I loved each of the interviews with the Dalai Lama but feel like the author didn't do a very good job with the rest of the book.

So some other reviewers complain that the book is written by Cutler and not the Dalai Lama. While this claim is true, the negative reviews have missed the point of the book. If they had read the book and the words spoken by the Dalai Lama they would not be focused on having been "lied to" or "cheated" as some of them claim. This "suffering" is a part of life. But as the Dalai Lama wants us to realize, we cannot be consumed or controled by the many negative effects of suffering such as the feeling of having been lied to or cheated. By feeding these negative emotions these people are not allowing happiness into their lives. And isn't that what we all seek? I mean if you want to be a miserable scrooge why read a book on happiness?

All in all the book is well written, and easy to read. Don't let some of the negative reviewss fool you. While Cutler was the one who put pen to paper, much of it contains direct quotes from the Dalai Lama. As explained in the preface and introduction, the purpose of the book is to merge Tibetan Buddhist philosophies on happiness with Western science through psychology.

While Cutler did the actual writting I do believe that the Dalai Lama deserves top billing in the listing of the two authors. After all anyone can transcribe words. It is the wisdom readers are seeking. Truly the Dalai Lama presented more wisdom than Mr. Cutler.

After seeing recent movies about the Dalai Lama, I was curious about the man and his teachings. In Cutler's book, the Dalai Lama comes across as as a wonderfully happy man, thrilled with life and all it has to offer, good and bad. His happiness is achieved through years of meditation and the training of his mind based on the teachings of Buddha while interacting with the real world of people and their problems. Cutler summarizes a collection of lectures and through those summaries the reader can access a sense of how to achieve happiness, through training one's mind to be compassionate and kind. Sounds simple, but it's not. No one becomes as blissful as the Dalai Lama without a lot of hard work. But what a happy and positive goal...to be happy... and worthy of a life's work. I did find Cutler to be wordy, repetitive and I would have preferred more Dalai Lama and less chatter on the psychological implications of his teachings. This book is a great introduction to the Dalai Lama and inspired me to read more books about and by him.

This is not a book about the Dalai Lama, nor a book about Buddhism. This centers on the intersection of Buddhist practice with neurological research in the field of psychology. The Dalai Lama is presented by the author as a sort of peculiar character with his own, distinct approach to many of the ills that plague our minds. The books is laid out as a compare-and-contrast between Buddhist and neurological research. You will learn little about the biography of the man on the cover, and less still about the tenets of Buddhism, but a great deal about where there is harmony between Eastern and Western 'spiritual medicine.'

Reading this book is a fabulous way to get acquainted with fundamentals of Tibetan Buddhism in general and with the ideas of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in particular. I would recommend reading this, then watching Kundun and Seven Years in Tibet, then reading the autobiography Freedom in Exile (which you can buy from the store.com!) Like some readers, I found the co-author's remarks rather intrusive at times, but they are easy to skim past. Many books on Buddhist philosophy or Tibetan Buddhism are too scholarly or technical, but this one is perfect for the beginner. If you only read two books this summer, this one and Freedom in Exile should be those books! They may change your life for the better, as they have definitely done for me. P.S. As you can see from the other reviews posted here, His Holiness does have his opponents. Try not to be swayed away from this book by detractors with a political agenda. Read these two books and see the films mentioned above, and then decide for yourself!

The Declaration of Independence asserts our self-evident right to pursue happiness, but doesn't teach us how to do so. The Dalai Lama says happiness is the goal of human existence and teaches us not just how to rid ourselves of the negative thoughts from which unhappiness springs, but also how to grow into an habitually positive frame of mind. This is not a selfish pursuit since compassion and altruism are understood as essential to personal happiness. In an age of road rage and air rage, depression and anxiety, such a guide to mental hygiene and growth is needed and welcome. I was initially disappointed that the book had two authors, but now consider this a strength. Dr. Culter not only adds western psychological information that complements "Buddhist" doctrine, but also provides good descriptions of the Dalai Lama, engages him in a running dialogue, and asks the questions that I would like to ask, particularly how a non-Buddhist would use the teaching just given. As it turns out there is very little in this book that is strictly "religious" or that would be unacceptable or impractical advice to a believer in another or in no faith at all. The Dalai Lama addresses himself specifically to such people. Obviously the book needs to be put into practice, not just read.

This book is a lesson in human will and wholesomeness. I am not of the Dalai Lama's faith, but I am a member of his world-wide gathering of respectors and admirers. I loved reading about him, his ability to master the self, and the message of the book-- human service. It is very well written and revealing. We get to see the Dalai Lama on stage, in meetings, and on his way to the car. In all situations, he is amazing and wonderful.
One does not have to be a religionist or Buddhist to appreciate the depth of the Dalai Lama and his life and teachings.
The Christian, atheist, or other religionist, has much to gain in reading this text. It holds the power to change one's life and is inspiring enough to provide the direction. I loved it.
The book is a written narration of a visit the author had with the Dalai Lama in AZ at a conference. He writes a little background about the Dalai Lama, the faith, and then spends most of the time demonstrating how the Dalai Lama lives his teachings. One minute the narrator describes the talk the Dalai Lama just gave, then we find ourserlves at the breakfast table in a one-on-one conversation with the Dalai Lama. It is a great read. It is a history, a narration, a visitation, and a disciples book all in one.

How strange to have read a book on Eastern thought and find how much it has in common with my own Judaism and with Christian thought.
We all like to have our own thoughts validated and I was pleased to note that the Dalai Lama also feels romantic love to be out of touch with reality.
Finding a commonality with one's fellow humans based on a compassionate outlook could be a force that changes societies. It's not new, it just needed reiterating and if a new context is needed, why not.
I personally only had trouble with thanking one's enemy for the opportunities he/she presents. Pure evil exists in the world. Is it worthwhile to find redeeming qualities in Hitler? I'm also tired of blaming the victim in any way. Is it wrong to want to punish those who commit atrocities? Can we continue to have a society where we need to stand guard over our fellow man? What do you do with those people who act out the complete anthesis of compassion?
Maybe we need to teach compassion in kindergarten. I think that even 5 year olds can grasp that they want happiness and so does everyone else.

When I first picked up this book, I saw the picture of the Dalai Lama and thought how interesting it would be to see what he has to say. After reading the book, I am a little disappointed that the book was written not by him, but by Dr. Cutler, a Western psychiatrist.
Dr. Cutler is not a bad writer. This is his research and interviews with the Dalai Lama. He talks of personal interviews as well as some of the Dalai Lama's speaking engagements. The chapters typically start with Dr. Cutler preparing to ask a question. Then, the Dalai Lama responds to the question. Afterwards, the doctor explains his interpretation and response to that answer. It is interesting to have the Eastern response compared with the Western response.
If I had to sum up the book in one sentence, then I would say, "Compassion is the key." There are exercises in the book that are designed to help us build our compassion. To be honest, I did feel calmer after reading this book.

Appearing to criticize a work by the Dalai Lama is like being against motherhood and apple pie, so I embark on this enterprise with trepidation.
The problem I had with this book, however, was not the Dalai Lama himself but his co-author, Dr. Cutler. The art of ignoring the co-author is an one that this book unintentionally cultivates. Dr. Cutler perhaps unconsciously pays a bumbling Watson to the Sherlock Holmes of His Holiness. Cutler, who is obviously used to being an authority, provides too much of himself into the dialogues with the Dalai Lama. the result is a jarring inconsistency in tone within some chapters. Doubtless including this much Cutler in the book was an editorial decision, but it doesn't work.
Once the reader gets used to Cutler popping up periodically to offer his own explanations of the Western perspective, the profundity of the Dalai Lama himself can be seen more clearly. Naturally his material is very fine and provides an excellent introduction to Buddhist practices that can be applied to the benefit of non-Buddhists.

I have never found a book more enlightening or enriching to the soul as this one. I enjoyed Howard Cutler's flow of writing, and his style of presenting the Dalai Lama's message. He provides a great combination of the traditional Buddhist theories, enforced with common sense and practical scientific studies. I also admire the fact that ANYONE could relate to the teachings this book offers, regardless of their religion (or lack there of), age, or background. I have been interested in Buddhism, and would like to learn more on the religion, though I didn't feel the book pushed the religious system upon its readers. I liked the objective stance the book presented; it made for easy reading for a non-affiliated, yet spiritual, person like myself. I found myself reading it slowly, even reviewing the chapters, in an attempt to absorb the full meaning of the text. Each chapter reveals a piece of the puzzle, a small ingredient to the overall message: We can create lasting happiness for ourselves, and this goal is the tie that unites all of us on Earth. A truly inspirational book, it will bring out the artist in all who read it.

Let me just say upfront that I'm a pretty skeptical person and I don't go in for touchy-feely stuff very easily. That said, I really enjoyed this book and think that almost anyone could get something out of it.
It is a series of discussions with the Dalai Llama and the author's reflections on his words. The author makes an honest attempt to understand the presented doctrine, but doesn't hesitate to ask probing questions. Sometimes he even gets the Dalai Llama to think about things in a new way!
For me, the main theme of the book was about patience, tolerance, and understanding. It has certainly changed my perspective on human behaviour, and I feel I am calmer for this. Although I am not capable yet of embracing all the qualities that this book espouses, I am definitely changed by reading it.

Enjoyed this book immensely. When I bought this book, I thought it was written by the Dalai Lama... This book can actually be more accurately described as being written by Cutler about the philosophy of the Dalai Lama and how it applies to our hectic modern lives.

A little misleading, but who cares? The book is awesome!!

This book reinforces the importance and benefits of practicing compassion and keeping life's challenges in perspective. Some of the examples Cutler uses to support his points are simplistic at best, but the concepts of changing perspective, decreasing attachment, and increasing positivity to attain greater happiness are very inspirational. Would recommend in a heartbeat. Lovely book, lovely read.

The Dalai Lama is a revered spiritual leader, for many people, Buddhist or not. However, in this book, he makes many Buddhist teachings incredibly universal to everyone's life, regardless of their faith. This book is applicable to all, due to the way that he eloquently adapts major Buddhist teachings so that they are common to every human being. This is truly a handbook for living, in terms of coming to accept yourself as well as others and your environment. He discusses in detail the whole concept of living life in order to avoid suffering, and how simple steps taken in everyday life can allow you to reach a much more peaceful place in your existence, and he discusses how to deal with pain and how to learn from it. This is definitely a multifacted, inspirational book for everyone out there even remotely interested in their spirituality or simply, how to live a better life .

I don't understand why some people were so upset with Cutler. Yes, he did benefit from his audience with the Dalai Lama. Yes, the sales of his book did benefit from having the Dalai Lama as a co-author. Yes, he is holding workshops with the materials in the book, and he is probably compensated for his efforts. But, was the book true to the teachings of the Dalai Lama? In my opinion, the answer is YES! In his book, Cutler explored the ideas of the Dalai Lama with his own reasoning and training and found them to be sound. Note that that is the approach that the Dalai Lama proposed to his audience. We were told not to accept Buddhist teaching by faith, but rather examine them with our own reasoning. Adopt them only if they are reasonable to us. So, Cutler was true to the teachings of the Dalai Lama. People who are upset with Cutler should reexamine their motivations. By the way, being mindful of our motivations is also a teaching of the Dalai Lama.

I was sorely disappointed in this book. It was written like a textbook, and most of the perspective is of the psychologist "co-writer" not Dalai Lama. Plus the subject matter was pretty sophomoric for someone who is already pretty well-read on spirituality, happiness and positivity. I kept hoping the style was an intro, but then after over 30% through, I couldn't read anymore.

Is it really ALL how we view what is happening to us? The Dalai Lama shows it is. Is that too simplistic, try living it. Simple dosen't apply as much as UNDERSTANDING, Sense of Self, Worth & Our places in the Universe. Is this easy, some parts more than others. Since I truly believe, I have control of How I perceive & react to things happening to me & around me, this book was a confirmation of THE POWER we have. Fear & feeling of being Powerless colors every thing we do. Here is a way to break with those chains, that make us impotent in our lives. One doesn't need to be Buddhist to use the Dalai Lama's words, this work does not interfer with any other doctrine. I think this book will only add to ones life, for every small change adds a slight ripple(improvement)to our ponds. LIFE IS NOT MEANT TO BE STATIC. Blessed be.

As an asian growing up as a Buddhist, I found the insights and Buddhism doctrines be nothing new to me. Personally I'd recommend the reader to ignore the psychiatrist's comments. He didn't seem to quite catch up on the true Buddhism concept..not until the latter half of the book. I first decided to read the book because I'd like to see how a westerner view an eastern concept/philosophy. For that purpose the book gave me a pretty good view and in some way helped me better understand the western thinking and culture. I enjoyed the latter half of the book more for one I think because Dr. Culter started to have a better grasp of the whole concept (sometimes I wondered if he didn't quite get it or just asked questions with an average reader's mindset on the subject in mind). To me it helped repeat and remind myself of the proper way to live..as a Buddhist.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama does not disappoint the read in the wisdom of this book. While the narration by Howard C. Cutler is a bit annoying at times, the wisdom of His Holiness is radiant.
Happiness is consitently being threatened by counteracting emotions and a lack of discipline and patience. Happiness is ultimately build on a calm, stable state of mind. The Dalai Lama discusses several techniques which foster the development of a positive state of mind, leading to happiness. While the techiniques suggested are largely based in Buddhist beliefs, all religions can bring happiness and a calm mind. The target audience of this book is to bring the sense of peace and happiness to those who do not have any means to achieve happiness. Some people are never able to find true happiness. For any reader, this book can be the first step on the path to happiness.

There is a common thread uniting all living beings, and that is their desire, their right, to happiness. This point is the focus of the Dalai Lama's comments throughout the book, which is written by an American Psychiatrist, Dr. Howard C. Cutler.
In private interviews with Tenzin Gyatso, His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, Dr. Cutler is able to provide his own professional insight into what is a centuries old philosophy. Bringing to light how these ancient teachings are pertinent to modern day living.
You don't have to believe in one religion over another, or in any at all. To benefit from the content of this book. This is not about Buddhism, per se, it is about living.
There is a gentle rhythm to this book - it flows from a question posed to the Dalai Lama, to his thoughtful and inspired response - followed up by Dr. Cutler's professional comments. You'll realize everyday connections that drive home the fact that these are more than lofty ideals, they are real life tools to defeat day-to-day depression, anxiety, anger, jealousy, and other negatives aspects in your life.
The only disappointment is there wasn't more of the Dalai Lama's comments. But it is an excellent resource for anyone - interested in Buddhism or not.

Don't get me wrong... I think Cutler's intentions are highly respectable. However, I doubt that the lines between Bhuddist Philosophy and Western Psychoanalysis can be easily connected. Our way of thinking is too causal, too linear. At best, Cutler dresses up a handful of his cases in what seems to be analogies for the words of the Dalai Lama. His conclusions, however seem to be a bit over-analyzed. This is not to say that passages that discuss His Holiness are not inspiring and thought-provoking. They are indeed; and it is those instances that kept me reading. Many have criticized this book, claiming it to be more the words of Cutler, than of the Dalai Lama. To a small extent, I agree, however Cutler certainly has the right to apply His Holiness' wisdom in whatsoever way he sees fit (an act I applaud him for.) Sadly, I found the sections of his book that were more about his own practice to be the least useful.

I admire the eloquent words and preachings of the Dali Lama. However, it is unfortunate that "intellectual exibitionists" such as Cutler have used tha Dalai Lama's notable and well-recognized name and face as an opportunity to display his so-call worldly "intellect". I was pleased only by the Dalai Lama's verbatim statements in this book. However, I could have done without Cutler's self-absorbing comments and self-praised remarks as a means to reassure himself of his intelligence. Perhaps Cutler should re-read the Dalai Lama's teachings which emphasize the importance of humbleness. I suppose that for Cutler, having an advanced degree does not guarantee with it any common sense or respect for someone as well-praised and humble as the Dalai Lama.

If the Dalai Lama has any part of authoring a book, then for me it is absolutely a must-read book. "The Art of Happiness" is no exception. What is happiness - true happiness? Is it finding a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow? The pride of seeing your son or daughter graduate from university? Sharing a life with someone you love? Finding peace and contentment within yourself? Is it being the best that you can possibly become and achieving your full potential? (Most of us never reach that one.) True happiness comes from within, not from the external, materialistic world around us. Unfortunately, many people wander through their entire life never completely understanding that. They have not become enlightened.
When I first learned of Buddhist philosophies and heard of the Dalai Lama, I found those philosophies far removed from the theories of Freud studied in psychology classes. However, the longer I followed and practised those beliefs, the more simplistic and enriched my life became - material possessions were of no significant importance, time on this Earth became irrelevant, the hassles of everyday living became minor inconsequential matters in the overall journey, and happiness became a way of life, not a destination.
The Dalai Lama is a wise, inspirational, humble and intensely thought-provoking man. He teaches us the true meaning of what is important in this life and what is not. "The Art of Happiness" is far more deserving of a five-star rating, but at least for the purpose of evaluating a book, the stars do not go any higher. I hope you will read the book; it will lift your spirits and soothe your soul.

The problem I have with this book is that the co-author (Cutler, a psychiatrist from Phoenix) seems ill suited - he poses questions and it sounds like he is surprised by the answers he gets from the Dalai Lama (he is often "annoyed" at the answers and even argues at some points). It seems a bit like a blind person trying to interview a Claude Monet or a van Gogh. Cutler also feels the need to augment the Dalai Lama's positions with supportive "evidence" from modern Western psychological research - one feels Cutler is saying "see, OUR research proves he is right." Also, it can be tricky to see what quotes are from Cutler, and which are from the Dalai Lama. I'd strongly suggest reading Ethics For The New Millennium first - a much better book and I think, more true to the Dalai Lama's voice.

I agree with a previous reviewer in that this is a book by a psychiatrist who is looking to reconcile the tenets of his practice with Tibetan buddhism. I have read a lot on buddhism and this series of interviews really misses the mark. The author keeps "pestering" (my words) the Dalai Lama with situation specific strategies and then asks "What if that is too difficult?" "What if that doesn't work, what then?". That's not what Buddhism is about! To me, that's the problem with Western methods, people can't see that an overarching philosophy can be your basis and then you don't have to remember which little tactic to use for each situation. Read something like "Buddhism plain & simple" or pick a book about a particular zen monk and you may walk away a little wiser.

I think that many readers have had the wrong idea about this book, particularly in regard to the participation of Dr. Howard C. Cutler. Dr. Cutler is relating the viewpoint of the Dalai Lama with his own thoughts and opinions. The book is not wholely by Dr. Cutler but is a jointly written book.
I found the comments by Dr. Cutler of great interest because he is playing the role of the average person in approaching the concept of happiness. Many of the his comments were those I would have asked and I found his point-of-view very helpful. He played the sceptic many times and asked for clarification concering the ideas of the Dalai Lama much like I would have.
The concepts of this book are indeed simple. I think many readers expected something profound and were disappointed. However, simplicity is at the heart of our existence (remember the golden rule). The message of this book is not entirely new but needs repeating. Being human, we need to practice the ideas found in this book to achieve balance in our lives.

I liked what was really from the Dalai Lama...His ideas about HAPPINESS ... but a bit diluted...I believe that it would be better just in his own words...
Another book I just read that was truly rewarding was called "Working On Yourself Doesn't Work: A Book About Instantaneous Transformation" The authors talk about a rapid and easy method they have found to discover enlightenment without having to do years of meditation. I feel that this is the real thing - a way of discovering your true self that works for 21st Century people. The real meditation is living your life with awareness, your job, your loved ones, your friends: to live in the moment and detach from your Past and Future illusions. This book had great stories and great examples. It really explained what I feel is the essence of enlightenment in simple easy to understand terms... I loved this book! I felt inspired and more changed for the better out of reading it! I believe the authors are operating with a pure heart...and some of it rubbed off on me after reading their book.

RICHARD GERE IS ONE HANDSOME DUDE, but he's also quite spiritual, palling around with the Dalai Lama and whatnot -- when he's not bedding supermodels. I always figgered what's good enough for the American Gigolo is good enough for me, so I've become quite interested in the Lama over the years. Turns out me and my pal Richard are not alone. American psychologist Howard Cutler also took a shine to the Lama and, over a few years, was able to ask him a whole boatload of spiritual questions. The result: _The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living_, a stunningly beautiful, simple book that chronicles the dialog between Cutler and the little happy guy. I've taken to leaving the book alongside our large bathtub and dipping into both simultaneously. Very peaceful.

I got this book because I really wanted to read the advice on relationships and happiness from the Dalai Lama. It does have a lot of good ideas on how to live happily and treat others with respect. It's my first time reading a book "by" the Dalai Lama, and I'm impressed with the way he is portrayed as respectful of all people and all religions. The quotations by the Dalai Lama are definitely inspiring and refreshing. Unfortunately, the "extra" commentary by Mr. Cutler is very annoying. Perhaps there are some who would be interested in all of the doubts and distractions Mr. Cutler describes (he is a psychiatrist, and regularly provides "case studies" throughout the book), but I was more interested in what the Dalai Lama had to say about the questions Cutler raises. For my part, I would recommend this book as "(diet) self-improvement," but it's not for someone who really wants to learn about Buddhist philosophy.

The interview format is a good way of presenting the Dalai Lama's philosophy, but the analysis by Cutler is not particularly insightful, nor is it well written. A little commentary about what he felt about or thought of the Dalai Lama's words on a particular subject would be appropriate, but Cutler goes on and on, with examples from his practice and descriptions of studies and articles from Western psychology. If I wanted to read a Western self-help book, I would. I was finding the whole thing tedious until I gave myself permission to skip Cutler's analysis. I also found Cutler's frequent descriptions of the Dalai Lama's demeanor (he chuckled warmly, he smiled serenely, etc.) smarmy and annoying.

Do read the words of the Dalai Lama. As mentioned in other reviews, they are simple but profound. Many times they caused a figurative light bulb to go off over my head, a genuine "wow, I never thought of it that way before." Cutler's contributions are the polar opposite, nothing I haven't heard or read before.

At a time I most needed help this book guided me through my pain and opened my eyes to see it as a distraction or a misdirection off of my center path toward peace from that moment on...I do believe in the buddhist ways, though I admit not being pure of wrong doing or some bumps in the road...I have become a better person for reading this and he speaks so clearly, he has some help along the way from the other author..Though at times clouding a little too much space and leaving you wanting to ask your own questions but books often do that and for good reason... :) very good book!

Despite the disclaimer that the narrator makes that this book is only a guideline andwill not change your life, it will. I have been studying Zen for over a year now and the Dali Lama puts everything in a perspective that cannot be misinterpreted using logic that cannot be argued. I have never read anything more clear and concise in my life! It's the kind of advice that makes you slap your forehead and say, "Duh, why didn't I think of that?" Some people, my roommate being one of them, cannot get past the fact that it is narrated by a psychiatrist and not the Dali Lama. However, this does not have to distroy your reading of the book. The shrink is very helpful for giving more practical applications of the Dali's teachings as well as more "scientific" proof of the Dali's words. BUY THIS BOOK -- YOU WILL BE A BETTER PERSON FOR IT :-)

This book was useful for me. I was happy to read that I already practice a lot of the advice in the book. The last thing I want to do is get angry and harm my inner self (and/or my internal organs). The book reminded me of the importance of spirtuality. It is a great handbook for living. I strongly recommend this book for anyone trying to move on from any sort of suffering (death, divorce, argument, career blues, etc.) which means we would ALL find this book useful. It's true that we all have one unique goal as human beings: happiness. This book is a great starting point for MORE happiness in our lives. I highlighted so many significant lines in the book. As an example: As products of an imperfect world, all of us are imperfect. Every one of us has done something wrong. OR It would not be helpful...if I let that feeling of regret weigh me down, be simply a source of discouragement and depression with no purpose, or interfere with going on with my life to the best of my ability. OR The first step in seeking happiness is learning. I urge everyone to LEARN from this informative book.

Like many who have reviewed this book I found Mr. Cutler's attitudes and opinions binding, distracting, and annoying. Most of all I had trouble with the western arrogance that Mr. Cutler represents. The underlying attitude seems to be that Americans (read: westeners) have the answers to everything. We've analized, sorted, categorized and studied every aspect of human nature (so we think), and we've got a good handle on everything. The only problem is that we are one of the largest groups of disassociated, disenfranchised, lonely and miserable groups of people walking the planet. Mr. Cutler should have acknowledged and appreciated that fact before wasting the Dalai Lama's time. The fact that His Holiness suffered this fool gladly is a testiment to the fact that he is one of the most incredible human beings on the planet and there is much to be learned for him. The passages of this book that contained the words of the Dalai Lama changed my life and my attitudes and have started me down the path to becoming a Buddhist. I recommend this book for anyone seeking new ways to look at your life...ways to break out of narrow western views. Hopefully the next time a spokesperson from the western world is chosen to write a book with His Holiness it will be one who has a more open mind, heart, and a bit more reverence for a man who has seen every horrible thing known to human beings and still teaches love and forgiveness.

Most of the reviews I've seen here are either "I just loved this book and you will too!" or "I hated this book -- it's all about Howard Cutler". Both opinions are valid -- in fact, opinions are by definition valid, at least as far as the opinionated person is concerned. This book is largely about Mr. Cutler's opinions -- and though of course he sometimes comes across as an uptight, elitist dolt, one has to admire his courage in portraying himself in that way. Surely nobody would be so stupid as to think that what occasionally comes across as Dr. Cutler's wrongheadedness was not *intentionally* scripted as part of the book. Yet obviously some of the reviewers here have entirely missed this not-terribly-subtle point.
Cutler is courageous in portraying himself honestly -- as somebody who does not know it all -- and also in portraying the Dalai Lama as someone who, in spite of his truly exceptional wisdom and compassion, is still actively engaged in learning about the human condition. This book is record of a cultural dialogue between two people, and is also to some degree a template for the kind of cultural dialogue which must inevitably take place if Buddhism is to be a vital and constructive force for change in the lives of Western people.
Western Buddhist elitists may feel cheated by this book because this it teaches what they think they already know; but this reaction itself just serves to show the arrogance of some educated Western Buddhists or Buddhist sympathizers. Other people, who failed to read the book's reviews beforehand, might feel cheated because the book is not written by the Dalai Lama -- but it's their own fault for not researching the book before they bought it. (In this Cutler's book is hardly unique -- a number of other titles with the Dalai Lama's name on them have been created from transcriptions of his talks and conversations, and edited by other people.) Still others may criticize Cutler for being a cynical opportunist who used the Dalai Lama to write a bestseller-- but that's just jealousy of another's success.
What's valuable about this book is that it is informative, but not overly subtle, and it is honest. Cutler, as the writer, and the Dalai Lama, as collaborator, have allowed us to glimpse their humanity, which is a sincere and noble gesture.

Lucky me, I don't have to read but only listen to my cassette tapes. Yes, they still work. :-)
If I could find a CD, I would send it to someone who is still angry about something...I like the story of a woman who has lost a loved one and later realized that she wasn't the only one; and finally accepted the loss of her child...
The guide on overcoming "anger" is an eye opener.
I would give this a 5-star if Mr. Cutler's voice didn't sound like it "trembles."
This is something you can pass on to your children or anyone special in your life, whether the recipient is happy or angry.

The conversations throughout the book about happiness, life, and love resonated with me and caused me to think about these concepts in different ways. Within these pages are messages of peace and love, for us all.

The Dalai Lama takes the reader through various exercises to promote happiness in one's life. Some of the exercises help with overcoming anger, others help in learning to develop compassion for others. The part that I found most helpful was learning how NOT to react to others negative comments, especially because this causes unnecessary suffering. Overall, the book was helpful for someone who is going through a difficult time such as a loss of a child. I have applied some of the comforting principles after going through the devastating loss of hurricane Katrina and Rita since I live in the New Orleans area.

It seems somewhat strange and perverse to write something negative about such a positive book, but I think, like most readers, I wanted to read more from the Dalai Lama and less from Cutler. I found the only way I could get through it was by just skipping Cutler's prose and reading the Dalai Lama quotes. There is a need for a meaningful dialogue between buddhism and psychology, but I'm afraid Cutler is not the right person for the job, or perhaps, the problem is that the popularization of the topic in the book makes it far too simplistic and trivial.
Having said all that, I learned a great deal from the Dalai Lama himself. I found his quotes to be incredibly useful and meaningful. I wish there were more in the book on the different kinds of meditation exercises that the Dalai Lama teaches. That is a book that should be written. If anyone knows of one, please let me know.

This book is the result of a series of talks between Dr. Howard Cutler, a psychiatrist, and the Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama states that the very purpose of our life is to seek happiness. The conversations essentially tell us what is necessary to bring that about.Being a kind, compassionate, and loving human being helps. What was a bit of a surprise to me was how much of what the Dalai Lama said sounded like cognitive behavioral therapy. Evidently, when it comes to happiness, the gap between East and West isn't that wide. There seems to be general agreement that happiness is an inside job and is very related to the inner dialogue we have going with ourselves all day long. If we want to be happy, the Dalai Lama gives us a pretty good road map to follow.This is a worthwhile book.

Good thing I don't rely on the rants of a few readers who gave this book a negative - (VanDusen from Pompano Beach might want to seriously consider an eye exam. It's Howard Cutler, not Harry). In spite of the mixed reviews, this book offers exactly what it says: Happiness is an art and one that needs constant practice. The Dali Lama makes clear that it is not so much an intellectual pursuit as it is the spiritual practice of compassion -- seeing ourselves in another. Dr. Cutler's conversational process allows us to connect more easily with a message that is universally important. Another way to more clearly understand the code of behavior the Dali Lama speaks of is to read "Ethics for the New Millennium" and a funny and inspiring ethics twist, "The Lone Ranger's Code of the West."

This book is a collaboration between the Dalai Lama and an Arizona state psychiatrist, Howard Cutler. I found the mixture of case studies and statistical refernces with Dalai Lama's thoughts to be distracting. I constantly was looking to bypass the pschiatrist's imput and find the Dalai Lama's thoughts. Probably I bought the wrong book and should have chosen a title that was written by the Dalai Lama only. The Dalai Lama's focus on compassion and tolerance and the trained mind for achieving happiness, I found to be quite palatable. He teaches respect of the common humanity versus the religious label someone wears. As a Christian interested in metaphysics, the Dalai Lama reveals buddhist teachings in ways that the western mind can find attractive and inspirational.

This book is a series of conversations; it's not a tome, a novel or a textbook. If you pick it up and expect to run through it in a day or two, you'll be disappointed. It is a series of conversations between the Dalai Lama and his friend the psychiatrist.
Once I read in the front part of the book that this was a series of conversations, I put the book in my briefcase to read on airliners or in airport terminals while traveling on business. I always ordered a cup of coffee, read through one conversation while sipping my coffee, then closed the book. It was almost as if I was sitting across the kitchen while the two of them were talking! I gained a lot more from this than trying to read through it. A friend of mine who is a psychologist told me I read it the correct way, using each conversation as a lesson or study session. A few flight attendants I met on my trips told me they were using the book in the same way. Considering none of the conversations are more than a few pages long, it took quite a few weeks to get through the book, but that wasn't a problem since I wasn't in a rush and I traveled a lot on on planes with time to kill!
Two lessons in this book will help anyone suffering from some sort of horrible trauma. The first is the story of the old monk who thought he was to blame for someone else's death. The second is what to do if something horrible happened to you in the past and you just can't get past the trauma. I'd spoil the lesson if I tell you any more, but I can tell you the lessons will help anyone recover from severe trauma.
This book holds a special place on the bookshelf in my living room. You can guess why.

I will keep this short and sweet. There is some wisdom to be found here. It's always good to hear a different point of view, particularly one that has been analyzed as deeply as the art of happiness. My problem with it is this; What does the Dhali Lama know? He lives in a palace, he has servants, millions of adoring followers hanging on his every word, and he wants for nothing. It seems he has little or no experience with the type of lives that most people lead. If you're looking for wisdom that is applicable to your life, wouldn't it be more logical to get it from somebody who has actually faced some of the obstacles that you are faced with? Someone who has gone through some of the things that you are going through?
I can't help but think that, if I were in the Lama's shoes I would probably be pretty happy too. Maybe I'm just naturally too skeptical or maybe I'm oversimplifying this. If we put his holiness behind the wheel of a truck and told him that he will be there until his kids graduate from college and his mortgage is paid off ( in about 20 years or so), will his happiness hold up? I don't know but I might be more inclined to listen to him under those circumstances. Find out for yourself, it's definitely worth the read.

It is true that this book is a little misleading. When I bought it I thought that it was writtem by the Lama and this Cutler person was his translator or something. Indeed not.
Cutler can be heavy-handed at times, true, but a great deal of this book is the Dalai Lama's own words. Cutler just spends a lot of time trying to get it to fit into his own weird pop-psychology way of thinking. Thus, the book is interesting, but not as great as it could be.
Read the book if you're interested in the concept. But if you want to read the Dalai Lama's own words and nothing else, pick up another of his books. I think he has at least one that's all him.
Oh, and if I were you, I would run away from the new book, The Art of Happiness at Work. Cutler is fast turning the Dalai Lama into the chicken soup for the soul of Buddhism.
(and to the crazy christian weirdo... get a life, hun)

At the time of writing this review, the store.com lists 2213 books on happiness. This is one of the best, and I should know. I haven't read all 2213, but I did read dozens when researching my own book, Climb your Stairway to Heaven: the 9 habits of maximum happiness. This was one of the best that I read.
If I could describe The Art of Happiness in one sentence, here it is: This book weaves philosophy and science into a strong rope on which to climb.
In fact, it is an excellent complement to my own book, as they both are truer to psychological science than most books on happiness, but the Dala Lama approaches the subject from a philosophical and inspirational perspective, whereas I chose to be more entertaining and motivational.
I enjoyed the book, and I will read it again.
David Leonhardt, author of Climb your Stairway to Heaven: the 9 habits of maximum happiness (also available at the store.com)

As a psychotherapist, author, with more than 25 years as a seminar trainer on life stragegies, I have noticed that with the start of the new millennium people had high expectation of a new, happier life. It is now 8 months later, and many have become disappointed, unhappy that their dreams didn't instantly come true; that whatever they imagined was supposed to happen, didn't. Many have given up, become depressed, angry, ill. Why? It's because we place the power on the outside. We must learn it isn't the outside that fulfills us, but how we think, feel and live our lives. That if we want change and happiness we have to do the work. We must create the journey and the life we want by applying his holiness' simple yet difficult rules for living... like "follow the three R's: Respect for self; Respect for others and Responsibility for all your actions." This wonderful book, "The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living," must be used daily on our own personal journey for our dreams to really come true.

Unfortunately, Cutler keeps getting in the way by explaining things that don't need to be explained. This makes reading the book a laborious test of will. The insights by the Dalai Lama are profound and transcend religious and cultural boundaries, but they require introspection to truly explore the implications of those insights. Cutler doesn't allow the reader to do this, instead he quickly boxes the quote into a clean, often artificial container, diffusing the impact of the original quote.
A much better read which offers most of the same message, without the distractions, is "Ethics for a New Millenium" by the Dalai Lama.

An unexpected and thoughtful gift from a dear family member. The start of the book was a bit slow, then repetitive but as the recommendation came so highly, I was resolute to listen to the message. WOW!. I have underlined, folded pages, taken time to re-read passages and truly reflect and, more importantly, look forward and allow myself to do so after several years of personal tragedy.
I will recommend this publication, gift it, but this copy next to me is already so full of my notes and personal comments that I would not want to bias anyone's experience for themselves.
A must read for anyone who is ready to open their hearts, minds, and do some serious re-reading of passages that are so though provoking when it is time to give people some compassion and some for yourself. In fact, if you are not ready (or know someone who could be), this is equally the right read. Nothing forced.
I am so grateful that this book arrived, it was even better that it wasn't a holiday gift. Just thoughtful. The meaning that I am drawing from the text/message just reinforces the whole premise.
I hope you enjoy and grow from this book!

I particularly enjoyed the pearls from his holiness and truly belive that he is a special man for our time. Many of his insights and outlooks will truly prove helpful to many of us. I was, as some of my peers above, a little dismayed at Cutler's emphasis on his own personal experience, often in attempts to explain, what the Dalai Lama had expressed quite eloquently.
Still, we shouldn't slam Cutler for trying to help some folks - even if he is makin' a buck in the deal!
Sorry that some of the readers feel so cheated - it must reflect some of their prior life experiences ; - )

Like many who have reviewed this book I found Mr. Cutler's attitudes and opinions binding, distracting, and annoying. Most of all I had trouble with the western arrogance that Mr. Cutler represents. The underlying attitude seems to be that Americans (read: westeners) have the answers to everything. We've analized, sorted, categorized and studied every aspect of human nature (so we think), and we've got a good handle on everything. The only problem is that we are one of the largest groups of disassociated, disenfranchised, lonely and miserable groups of people walking the planet. Mr. Cutler should have acknowledged and appreciated that fact before wasting the Dalai Lama's time. The fact that His Holiness suffered this fool gladly is a testiment to the fact that he is one of the most incredible human beings on the planet and there is much to be learned for him. The passages of this book that contained the words of the Dalai Lama changed my life and my attitudes and have started me down the path to becoming a Buddhist. I recommend this book for anyone seeking new ways to look at your life...ways to break out of narrow western views. Hopefully the next time a spokesperson from the western world is chosen to write a book with His Holiness it will be one who has a more open mind, heart, and a bit more reverence for a man who has seen every horrible thing known to human beings and still teaches love and forgiveness.

Most of the reviews I've seen here are either "I just loved this book and you will too!" or "I hated this book -- it's all about Howard Cutler". Both opinions are valid -- in fact, opinions are by definition valid, at least as far as the opinionated person is concerned. This book is largely about Mr. Cutler's opinions -- and though of course he sometimes comes across as an uptight, elitist dolt, one has to admire his courage in portraying himself in that way. Surely nobody would be so stupid as to think that what occasionally comes across as Dr. Cutler's wrongheadedness was not *intentionally* scripted as part of the book. Yet obviously some of the reviewers here have entirely missed this not-terribly-subtle point.
Cutler is courageous in portraying himself honestly -- as somebody who does not know it all -- and also in portraying the Dalai Lama as someone who, in spite of his truly exceptional wisdom and compassion, is still actively engaged in learning about the human condition. This book is record of a cultural dialogue between two people, and is also to some degree a template for the kind of cultural dialogue which must inevitably take place if Buddhism is to be a vital and constructive force for change in the lives of Western people.
Western Buddhist elitists may feel cheated by this book because this it teaches what they think they already know; but this reaction itself just serves to show the arrogance of some educated Western Buddhists or Buddhist sympathizers. Other people, who failed to read the book's reviews beforehand, might feel cheated because the book is not written by the Dalai Lama -- but it's their own fault for not researching the book before they bought it. (In this Cutler's book is hardly unique -- a number of other titles with the Dalai Lama's name on them have been created from transcriptions of his talks and conversations, and edited by other people.) Still others may criticize Cutler for being a cynical opportunist who used the Dalai Lama to write a bestseller-- but that's just jealousy of another's success.
What's valuable about this book is that it is informative, but not overly subtle, and it is honest. Cutler, as the writer, and the Dalai Lama, as collaborator, have allowed us to glimpse their humanity, which is a sincere and noble gesture.

Lucky me, I don't have to read but only listen to my cassette tapes. Yes, they still work. :-)
If I could find a CD, I would send it to someone who is still angry about something...I like the story of a woman who has lost a loved one and later realized that she wasn't the only one; and finally accepted the loss of her child...
The guide on overcoming "anger" is an eye opener.
I would give this a 5-star if Mr. Cutler's voice didn't sound like it "trembles."
This is something you can pass on to your children or anyone special in your life, whether the recipient is happy or angry.

The conversations throughout the book about happiness, life, and love resonated with me and caused me to think about these concepts in different ways. Within these pages are messages of peace and love, for us all.

The Dalai Lama takes the reader through various exercises to promote happiness in one's life. Some of the exercises help with overcoming anger, others help in learning to develop compassion for others. The part that I found most helpful was learning how NOT to react to others negative comments, especially because this causes unnecessary suffering. Overall, the book was helpful for someone who is going through a difficult time such as a loss of a child. I have applied some of the comforting principles after going through the devastating loss of hurricane Katrina and Rita since I live in the New Orleans area.

It seems somewhat strange and perverse to write something negative about such a positive book, but I think, like most readers, I wanted to read more from the Dalai Lama and less from Cutler. I found the only way I could get through it was by just skipping Cutler's prose and reading the Dalai Lama quotes. There is a need for a meaningful dialogue between buddhism and psychology, but I'm afraid Cutler is not the right person for the job, or perhaps, the problem is that the popularization of the topic in the book makes it far too simplistic and trivial.
Having said all that, I learned a great deal from the Dalai Lama himself. I found his quotes to be incredibly useful and meaningful. I wish there were more in the book on the different kinds of meditation exercises that the Dalai Lama teaches. That is a book that should be written. If anyone knows of one, please let me know.

This book is the result of a series of talks between Dr. Howard Cutler, a psychiatrist, and the Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama states that the very purpose of our life is to seek happiness. The conversations essentially tell us what is necessary to bring that about.Being a kind, compassionate, and loving human being helps. What was a bit of a surprise to me was how much of what the Dalai Lama said sounded like cognitive behavioral therapy. Evidently, when it comes to happiness, the gap between East and West isn't that wide. There seems to be general agreement that happiness is an inside job and is very related to the inner dialogue we have going with ourselves all day long. If we want to be happy, the Dalai Lama gives us a pretty good road map to follow.This is a worthwhile book.

Good thing I don't rely on the rants of a few readers who gave this book a negative - (VanDusen from Pompano Beach might want to seriously consider an eye exam. It's Howard Cutler, not Harry). In spite of the mixed reviews, this book offers exactly what it says: Happiness is an art and one that needs constant practice. The Dali Lama makes clear that it is not so much an intellectual pursuit as it is the spiritual practice of compassion -- seeing ourselves in another. Dr. Cutler's conversational process allows us to connect more easily with a message that is universally important. Another way to more clearly understand the code of behavior the Dali Lama speaks of is to read "Ethics for the New Millennium" and a funny and inspiring ethics twist, "The Lone Ranger's Code of the West."

This book is a collaboration between the Dalai Lama and an Arizona state psychiatrist, Howard Cutler. I found the mixture of case studies and statistical refernces with Dalai Lama's thoughts to be distracting. I constantly was looking to bypass the pschiatrist's imput and find the Dalai Lama's thoughts. Probably I bought the wrong book and should have chosen a title that was written by the Dalai Lama only. The Dalai Lama's focus on compassion and tolerance and the trained mind for achieving happiness, I found to be quite palatable. He teaches respect of the common humanity versus the religious label someone wears. As a Christian interested in metaphysics, the Dalai Lama reveals buddhist teachings in ways that the western mind can find attractive and inspirational.

This book is a series of conversations; it's not a tome, a novel or a textbook. If you pick it up and expect to run through it in a day or two, you'll be disappointed. It is a series of conversations between the Dalai Lama and his friend the psychiatrist.
Once I read in the front part of the book that this was a series of conversations, I put the book in my briefcase to read on airliners or in airport terminals while traveling on business. I always ordered a cup of coffee, read through one conversation while sipping my coffee, then closed the book. It was almost as if I was sitting across the kitchen while the two of them were talking! I gained a lot more from this than trying to read through it. A friend of mine who is a psychologist told me I read it the correct way, using each conversation as a lesson or study session. A few flight attendants I met on my trips told me they were using the book in the same way. Considering none of the conversations are more than a few pages long, it took quite a few weeks to get through the book, but that wasn't a problem since I wasn't in a rush and I traveled a lot on on planes with time to kill!
Two lessons in this book will help anyone suffering from some sort of horrible trauma. The first is the story of the old monk who thought he was to blame for someone else's death. The second is what to do if something horrible happened to you in the past and you just can't get past the trauma. I'd spoil the lesson if I tell you any more, but I can tell you the lessons will help anyone recover from severe trauma.
This book holds a special place on the bookshelf in my living room. You can guess why.

I will keep this short and sweet. There is some wisdom to be found here. It's always good to hear a different point of view, particularly one that has been analyzed as deeply as the art of happiness. My problem with it is this; What does the Dhali Lama know? He lives in a palace, he has servants, millions of adoring followers hanging on his every word, and he wants for nothing. It seems he has little or no experience with the type of lives that most people lead. If you're looking for wisdom that is applicable to your life, wouldn't it be more logical to get it from somebody who has actually faced some of the obstacles that you are faced with? Someone who has gone through some of the things that you are going through?
I can't help but think that, if I were in the Lama's shoes I would probably be pretty happy too. Maybe I'm just naturally too skeptical or maybe I'm oversimplifying this. If we put his holiness behind the wheel of a truck and told him that he will be there until his kids graduate from college and his mortgage is paid off ( in about 20 years or so), will his happiness hold up? I don't know but I might be more inclined to listen to him under those circumstances. Find out for yourself, it's definitely worth the read.

It is true that this book is a little misleading. When I bought it I thought that it was writtem by the Lama and this Cutler person was his translator or something. Indeed not.
Cutler can be heavy-handed at times, true, but a great deal of this book is the Dalai Lama's own words. Cutler just spends a lot of time trying to get it to fit into his own weird pop-psychology way of thinking. Thus, the book is interesting, but not as great as it could be.
Read the book if you're interested in the concept. But if you want to read the Dalai Lama's own words and nothing else, pick up another of his books. I think he has at least one that's all him.
Oh, and if I were you, I would run away from the new book, The Art of Happiness at Work. Cutler is fast turning the Dalai Lama into the chicken soup for the soul of Buddhism.
(and to the crazy christian weirdo... get a life, hun)

At the time of writing this review, the store.com lists 2213 books on happiness. This is one of the best, and I should know. I haven't read all 2213, but I did read dozens when researching my own book, Climb your Stairway to Heaven: the 9 habits of maximum happiness. This was one of the best that I read.
If I could describe The Art of Happiness in one sentence, here it is: This book weaves philosophy and science into a strong rope on which to climb.
In fact, it is an excellent complement to my own book, as they both are truer to psychological science than most books on happiness, but the Dala Lama approaches the subject from a philosophical and inspirational perspective, whereas I chose to be more entertaining and motivational.
I enjoyed the book, and I will read it again.
David Leonhardt, author of Climb your Stairway to Heaven: the 9 habits of maximum happiness (also available at the store.com)

As a psychotherapist, author, with more than 25 years as a seminar trainer on life stragegies, I have noticed that with the start of the new millennium people had high expectation of a new, happier life. It is now 8 months later, and many have become disappointed, unhappy that their dreams didn't instantly come true; that whatever they imagined was supposed to happen, didn't. Many have given up, become depressed, angry, ill. Why? It's because we place the power on the outside. We must learn it isn't the outside that fulfills us, but how we think, feel and live our lives. That if we want change and happiness we have to do the work. We must create the journey and the life we want by applying his holiness' simple yet difficult rules for living... like "follow the three R's: Respect for self; Respect for others and Responsibility for all your actions." This wonderful book, "The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living," must be used daily on our own personal journey for our dreams to really come true.

Unfortunately, Cutler keeps getting in the way by explaining things that don't need to be explained. This makes reading the book a laborious test of will. The insights by the Dalai Lama are profound and transcend religious and cultural boundaries, but they require introspection to truly explore the implications of those insights. Cutler doesn't allow the reader to do this, instead he quickly boxes the quote into a clean, often artificial container, diffusing the impact of the original quote.
A much better read which offers most of the same message, without the distractions, is "Ethics for a New Millenium" by the Dalai Lama.

An unexpected and thoughtful gift from a dear family member. The start of the book was a bit slow, then repetitive but as the recommendation came so highly, I was resolute to listen to the message. WOW!. I have underlined, folded pages, taken time to re-read passages and truly reflect and, more importantly, look forward and allow myself to do so after several years of personal tragedy.
I will recommend this publication, gift it, but this copy next to me is already so full of my notes and personal comments that I would not want to bias anyone's experience for themselves.
A must read for anyone who is ready to open their hearts, minds, and do some serious re-reading of passages that are so though provoking when it is time to give people some compassion and some for yourself. In fact, if you are not ready (or know someone who could be), this is equally the right read. Nothing forced.
I am so grateful that this book arrived, it was even better that it wasn't a holiday gift. Just thoughtful. The meaning that I am drawing from the text/message just reinforces the whole premise.
I hope you enjoy and grow from this book!

I particularly enjoyed the pearls from his holiness and truly belive that he is a special man for our time. Many of his insights and outlooks will truly prove helpful to many of us. I was, as some of my peers above, a little dismayed at Cutler's emphasis on his own personal experience, often in attempts to explain, what the Dalai Lama had expressed quite eloquently.
Still, we shouldn't slam Cutler for trying to help some folks - even if he is makin' a buck in the deal!
Sorry that some of the readers feel so cheated - it must reflect some of their prior life experiences ; - )

IF YOU ARE A HARDCORE OF RACE EMANCIPATION, YOU DEFINITELY SHOULD NOT MISS THIS. It has been my dream to visit Tibet since I had my earliest memory of my life. The first impression of Tibet projected in my mind is chaste and immaculate. Stepping into Tibet territory, you will find your soul have virtually scaled up the incarnate body, and transcend to a Shangri-La deserving your lifetime coveting for.

I was born in Sichuan province, a region situated in the hinterland of China and also adjoins Tibet eastern boundary to the west. No doubts there are cadres of Tibetans preside in my hometown. Unfortunately, they are termed as untouchable race, the genuine manifestation of nefarious Indian caste hierarchy. Clustering among the shanties scattered across the margin of our metropolitan, those Tibetans excoriated viscerally by "urbane" people's jeers, flouts, and even effronteries.

I told my mama when I was about to reach 10 that I want to one day sojourn in Lhasa, she first casted me a screamingly queer countenance as if I were to poke the Pandora Box. Then meditates for few seconds, she blasted me in a pretty sarcastic tone couched in exaggerations and ironies: "O Christ! How on earth you got the hunch to go to Tibet? To watching the barren plateau without any vegetation or to greeting with those uncouth Tibetans who still live in a barbarian and truculent civilization boy! Have you caught a fever or went lunacy? The average 4000-meter altitude can fizzle all your vitality in two shakes, and you will permanently croaked in that area where "sane" people viewed as forbidden dead zone even the falcons could never surmount and conquer. "I was petrified; my fragile curiosity was so infirm and vulnerable to squalls of diatribes, though benign in meaning for my mama was flabbergasted by my "macabre" ambition.

You will never get to know how Tibetans were excoriated and grilled by Chinese government.Their artifices of persecution have even formed a system including interrogation,brainbleaching,decimation,and countless other appliancations. For those folks inveigh against the centralized authority, all of their kith and kin will be push to the scaffolds. There is not even a tidbit of leeway for Tibetans to confide and propose their own religious and political thoughts, and CPC employs all caboodles of the shenanigans to bamboozle Tibetans into their calculated dungeons.

The only and also the marquee leader of all Tibetans is Dalai Lama, and he irreproably shoulder on the burdens of all victimizations imposed by CPC,thus reluctantly migrating to India where he can thrive the enterprises of Free Tibet Project with little hindrance and impediment.

I believe all of you have already heard of the incident in March 2008 Olympic year when gazillions of monks waged a peaceful demonstration in Lhasa, whereas CPC described it as genuinely orchestrated commotion and vandalism with clear dictatorship (Dalai Lama),I was dazzled by CPC's mastery of fabrications that blurred the public. They use synthesized pictures to create scenarios that attempt to evince the atrocity of Tibetans, but the truth was revealed by CNN, in which an echelon, if not a phalanx, of tanks occupied every nooks and crannies of the peaceful city, made it utterly vacant. People were caveated with curfews and browbeaten by officials not to conform to any ideas of those "rabbles". I was totally exasperated to hear those ungrounded concoctions along with ill-defined animadversions. That's the reason I am a dissident of CPC cap-a-pie, and I will endeavor to preserve the democracy and freedom in Tibet till my last breath.

Free Tibet!
Capsize CPC!
(We petition in Dalai Lama's puissant name)

A Free Tibet Protagonist

"The Art Of Happiness," is a very good book. I didn't appreciate the beauty, and genius behind the thinking of this book, until after I had finished it. While reading, I was most interested, and thought it was very good, but after I had finished the whole thing, I was in a better position to integrate all of the ideas, and see that not only was the book set on a nice premise, but fulfilled its promise - It sets out a clear, achievable, and loving way for people to attain what has become somewhat of a myth to some people: true happiness. I would recommend people read this book at least twice, because there are so many ideas that are portrayed, that they should be absorbed fully. The book has the potential to be a nice first step for many people, myself included. It presents very deep, although sometimes deceptively simple ideas, and the book itself motivates people to be the best they can be. If someone fully integrates the ideas presented into their life, I imagine they would be among a very special few.
The book's form leaves a little to be desired, however. Although mostly effective, the narrative style was sometimes tiresome, it made the flow of the book seem a bit choppy at times, and the reader is subject to some of Cutler's whims, which results in disjoined ideas, and a chapter starting on one premise, and ending on another. That said, the narrative effect is often very effective, and all in all, makes the reader feel more connected with his Holiness.
I was very surprised while reading some of the other reviews of this book. The main complaints were that the book is too simplistic for an avid Buddhist, merely rehashing concepts and ideas they already know, into a more muddled form, and that His Holiness the Dalai Lama was under-utilised, with Howard Cutler being the real writer of the book.
The first complaint, in my mind, if looked at from a slightly different angle, is a bit of a bonus for a non Buddhist, or for new Buddhists. I found that the simplification of some points, and the stripping of a lot of the classic spirituality (such as the concepts in Buddhism of reincarnation etc) to do with Buddhism, made the parts portrayed in this book more effective, more real, and more possible to the average man on the street. Books which are highly accessible, without changing the base message of the higher concepts can be shunned by the establishment, but in fact, should be embraced, as the message will be able to reach, and help, so many more people as a result. This book says itself that it is not a recourse for Buddhist spirituality, and offers a number of books by his Holiness, that are purely on the Buddhist Spiritual practise. If looked at from this way, as a guide for living a happy life, for everybody, Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike, I think a lot of the disappointments that people have voiced about this book, especially those complaining about its simplicity and lack of attention payed to spiritual matters (although there is a quite large section at the end on how spirituality - any, not just Buddhist spirituality - is more beneficial to ones overall happiness) will dissolve.
The second complaint is a valid Point. This is undeniably Cutler's book, however, that is not in itself negative. I personally found that Cutler's comments, and back up evidence to be invaluable, and persuasive, a very effective way of explaining how some of the Buddhist-type principles His Holiness stated could be stripped to their essentials, and effectively used to help every day people lead a happy life. I think naming His Holiness as the author of this book was misleading, but I was never disappointed. I think the mix of Cutler's Western medical knowledge, and His Holiness' principles of compassion, love and respect was most effective, and all together a lot more self contained than a book on the same subject by each separately. I bought this book for the Dalai Lama's ideas, not specifically because I thought he was the sole writer. Although for the many who may have bought it because they wanted a solid Dalai Lama written book, these pre-conceived expectations would be let down. But I do believe, if they perhaps take the book for what it is, a concise, straight, `how-to' manual for lack of a better word, they wont be so disappointed, and the fact that the Dalai Lama didn't write it fully won't be such a disappointment.
In all, I would highly recommend this book, just so everyone can make up their own mind, and also, I do believe everyone who reads it will pick up something of value from it.

In The Art of Happiness, H. H. the Dalai Lama XIV truly demonstrates the translation of his title: Ocean of Wisdom. The book addresses concisely the questions that most westerners have towards eastern thought. In addition, the text easily provides day-to-day solutions for the human soul. While Mr. Cuttler's narative and point of view can be distracting, his input does tend to mirror what I, and seemingly others, were thinking at the time. Not only should this book be a staple for all adults, but should also be part of the educational canon within all schools.

I believe this book is one of the great gems of wisdom in the history of literature. I read a few pages at a time and digest their nuggets of wisdom for weeks. A must read for anyone interested in delving into the topic of happiness and finding a life worth living.

It's an interesting book that provides much insight into the Dalai Lama's philosophy regarding answers to the essential questions of our being. His values stem from the Tibetan Buddhism as he is the religious leader thereof. Another book along these lines that deals with the art of happiness and is also a great handbook for living which has helped me a lot, and I recommend highly is Dietmar Scherf's "I Love Me: Avoiding and Overcoming Depression"--also available at the store.

wow, what a book! very enlightening read indeed. i couldnt put down the book and had to finish it in one go. the points that the author is trying to put across are very intriguing and highly sensible. yes, i finally realize that it is the internal happiness that could make us truly happy and that external happiness acquire thru wealth etc wont usually last. So, how do we acquire internal happiness? the key is being compassionate and the rest you got to find out by reading this book!

For over 60 years I have read thousands of books. The subjects have ranged from technical to spiritual, from historical to fictional and from entertaining to instructive. Although I have been cognitively informed by many books and spiritually lifted by some, none has been more significent in leading me to see the way to true spiritual happiness than Howard C.Cutler's book The Art of Happiness. This book is truly one of the best books I have ever read. This book fulfills its promise that through the wisdom of the Dalai Lama one can have a Handbook for Living.
I am a school teacher and minister for Christ in the state reform school in Anchorage, Alaska. I use teachings of Dr. Cutler and the Dalai Lama to guide my students to a better path. When I read one of the passages to my classes they become calmer and more settled that usual.
Thank you Dr. Cutler and Bstan-dzin-rgya-mtsho for your wise and wonderful counsel.
Rev. Dr. Michael K. Mitchell Teacher and Minister Anchorage, Alaska

This Buddhist leader and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize brings to a general audience his teachings of the Buddha Nature, which is the state of mind, present in all human beings, that is completely untainted by negative emotions and thoughts. He teaches the basis of being happy is to gain access to the warm and compassionate states of mind, that we all possess the potential for compassion, and our basic nature is gentleness.
Often during his interviews, the Dalai Lama would break into a robust laugh, revealing his marvelous and gentle sense of humor. This book brings about a meeting of psychology and Buddhism, and shows us a way to defeat ordinary depression, anger, and anxiety. The Art of Happiness crosses the boundaries of all religious traditions to help readers with difficulties common to all of us, with discussions based on 25 centuries of Buddhist meditations. When I finished reading this book, I felt a strong longing to someday meet His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and until then, look at everything I could find on television and on the Internet about the author. (If you have a chance, watch CNN's documentary, "The Dalai Lama: At Home in Exile" which originally aired August 8, 1999, 9:00 PM E.T.)

This is the type of book that anyone can read... it doesn't matter what religion/faith that one might be. It gives some real perspective to life. One of my favorite sections- If you CAN'T change it, then there is no sense in worrying/fretting over it. If you CAN change it... again, there is no point in worrying/fretting about it. Another perspective is that all those people out there that stress us out, make us mad, etc. They are to be treasured, because with out them, we would not have cause to lean patience and tolerance. If all our encounters were friendly and loving, we would never learn how to cope with adversity and conflict. Believe me, the book states this far more eloquently, and in simple perspectives that I'm sure we can all relate to. I hate to admit that there are a few passages that are a bit of a slow read, but overall...this book is outstanding! Well worth the money! I've even given it as a gift to some of my relatives! :)

Wonderfully written, consistently engaging, and highly applicable without pushing an agenda no matter your beliefs or background. The Dalai Lama explains how concepts of Buddhism can be applied to enrich the typical life of a Westerner who has no intention of joining a monastery.

Excellent and highly recommended for putting yourself in a more mindful place in your daily life.

This book has the power to transform the reader. I often tell people it holds the 'secret to life.'

This book is based on a dialog between Cutler, a Western psychologist, and His Holiness The Dalai Lama. The connections made between western psychology and eastern beliefs are outstanding.

This is the perfect book for someone interested in The Dalai Lama, Buddhism, psychology, or just finding a better way to live.

You'll feel like you are sitting there in the room with The Dalai Lama yourself...and not wanting to leave.

I really enjoyed this book, but I think it's best for those who are seeking some solace after a negative experience, otherwise it may seem a bit boring. You definitely need to have something to relate it to to make it worthwhile reading. But if you do, it's wonderful!
I find myself frequently tossing the Dalai Lama's words around in my head. It helps calm the soul and the nerves.
I find myself looking at situations differently and I believe I have found more happiness in my life.

Somewhat interesting but I wasn't looking for a western commentary on the Dalai Lama's insights. I would rather read it directly from his perspective and draw my own conclusions. If you have an excellent perspective of Buddhism, please email me with a book you would recommend for a beginner. I prefer to start with a conceptual type book overviewing philosophies, history, and practices. Thanks in advance for your input.
My email: [email protected]

My wife brought this home on a Tape. I listened to it night after night after night. The messages and lessons that the Dalia Lama gives you, helped me understand that anger and hate were eating away at me and that I must learn to forgive and move on. Yes, sounds like Dr. Phil advice, but if the Dalai Lama can do this and you know he is not some fraud, than why can't I.

This book is continually of much benefit to my experience. Yes, of course most of us would appreciate more of His Holiness's direct communication which does not negate for me the perspective of the author. This title is a wonderful primer on reducing suffering in our existence. It also offers precious glimpses in to the nature of His Holiness the person which are consistent with his teachings and with the experience of those who have had the fortune of meeting him in person. I am continually inspired and encouraged (and again through this book) by His Holiness as a real person who so elegantly integrates his practice into the everyday of his life and interactions. I highly recommend this book to those interested in a common sense approach and perspective on living a life with happiness, clarity, and compassion. Also, the audiobook has audio of His Holiness speaking to an audience which although brief provides a nice introduction.

OK so this is what I just don't get; letting go is the key to happiness? No. I'm sorry, but that is bull. Although I agree with Elizabeth Bishop that ther
is an art to losing material things and even letting go of some personal attachments, I just can't fathom the value of letting go of the most important
things in your life.

I believe in a a single life which, in plain English, means I'm an atheist. Cast your aspersions now in the comments field now as if I would care. The key to happiness is holding on to those things that are most important to you. Once you're dead it's done so just make the most out of the life you have. For me, certain things really matter, such as the people I've met in my life, the music of Wagner, baseball, punk rock, bagels and lox, the English language (American version) being a father of a daughter, Coen Brothers movies, trivia pertaining to U.S. presidents (Garfield was the best, by the way), chess, chests, golf, tools, sewing, cats AND dogs, and I can easily name hundreds of other things.

But none of this is going to matter 40-50 years from now. But we're not there yet. It's now, now. If you don't enjoy now, what are you waiting for?

Jeremy W. Forstadt

To put it bluntly, this book should've been 1/4 the length. Cutler hides behind the good name and reputation of the Dali Lama to interject his views and interpretations of the Dali Lama's answers and insights. Half the book is just psycho-babble you can find in just about any Psych 101 text book. If I wanted to read a list of references from Freud, I'd go back to college. I was forced to skim the book and read only the Dali Lama's quotations. Although I felt that His Holyness' quotes were hindered due to the fact that they were answers to Cutler's seemingly naiive and self-centered questions and objections. I personally feel that The Dali Lama's good name and portrait for that matter was misused to sell Cutler's book, in which I'm sure he couldn't have published one on his own. From the quotations and words of the Dali Lama which *were* included as a part of this book, I was very intrigued about his insights upon life. How simplistic they were, but yet so true. I'm not a portrayer of the next diety by any means; but if a man can life his entire life with a smile and a heartly laugh - surely there must be something valuable to be learned from him.

I found this book to be remarkably simple. For a subject as esoteric as "happiness," it is amazing how the authors (the questioner and the "questionee") have presented a clear, cogent and concise text that is also delightful to read.
One can expound at great length upon the virtures of this book, yet perhaps in this case, less is indeed more.
The answer is simple. The book is well written, thought provoking, yet also comforting in its wisdom. Nothing else needs to be said.

A very easy book to read and a great antidote to the excesses of our western life style of consumption and greed.

It provides an easily digestible look at practical ways to live simply and happily.

It can seem patronising and too simple in places, it discusses things that are pretty obvious to most but that is because there is much truth in what the Dalai Lama says and his philosophy is pretty simple.

Live Happily!

I like what he says. He seems to be a good man. And his ideas are inspiring and make one feel better.
Another book I just read about happiness and inner peace and satisfaction that I love was called "Working On Yourself Doesn't Work: A Book About Instantaneous Transformation" by Ariel and Shya Kane. The authors talk about a way to discover enlightenment without working or trying to fix yourself, do therapy, or even do years of chanting etc. It is Eastern as well as a western approach. But I think it is certainly an easier apporach than the Dalai Lama's for most modern people. Their appraoch recommends being active in the world and giving your totality to living your life,doing your job, loving your loved ones, enjoying your friends: and be able to have detachment from your history.
I loved this book! Ariel and Shya Kane, like the Dalai Lama, are special people, and you can feel that the authors have integrity and are operating with a pure heart...And it helps everyone...

I picked this book up at its first print. I found this book extremely spiritually insightful, to say the absolute least. Every time I read this book again (that's right, again), I find new value locked within the Dalai Lamas' words. However, I am reading a lot of these reviews in much disappointment.
The Art of Happiness was written through the perspective of a western psychiatrist, Dr. Howard C. Cutler. It saddens me in the fact that many readers could not see beyond Dr. Cutlers' viewpoints into the heart of the real mater. Dr. Cutlers' remarks were not made to instruct or to educate, but merely to display the Dalai Lama in a more acceptable western sense.
The most important thing the Dalai Lama speaks of is the act of cultivating compassion. This is important. Through compassion, one will come to appreciate Dr. Cutler's display of goodwill toward the overall benefit of humankind. It would seem that most negative reviews were not based on content alone, but based purely on an abundance of ignorance. You could say that they just `didn't get it.' The very people in which complain of Dr. Cutlers perspectives are complaining, in a sense, of their own comprehension levels. Through compassion, one will inevitably find that live is through our own perception. This book does an exquisite job in relaying this fact among others noted respectfully through the wisdom of His Holiness, The Dalai Lama.
This book reads it self, I have given it to friends, family, etc. It is a beautiful work of art in many senses. If you have any interest in spiritual growth, eastern philosophy, or if you just have a good heart, as I believe we all do, then buy this book. For those of you who still don't like this book, there are books out there not written by Dr. Cutler that carry the same principles. If you want a book with nothing more than the Dalai Lamas words then you should buy the book, 'Dalai Lama, The Path to Tranquility (compiled by Renuka Singh).
This is all that I have to say.

At first the Dalai Lama seems simplistic - but then Dr. Cutler's extraordinarily skillful questions bring out the complexities and also practicalities of these incredible teachings. I have read many books by Buddhist teachers, but none have come close to this one in bringing the Buddhist teachings straight home to the western reader. I would like to thank Dr. Cutler for making this happen - and I highly recommend this extraordinary story.

This book pretends to address real world issues about achieving happiness but falls far short of the mark. It is authored by two people who have obviously lived their entire lives in ivory towers and have very little experience with the rough and tumble real world. The answers to questions about survival and happiness have small nuggets of truth in them, but they are so simplistic that their relevance to real people diminishes to the infinitesimal.

As an example, the two authors conclude that there is no point in worrying about problems because, "There is either a solution or there is not. If there is a solution, then there is nothing to worry about. If there is no solution, then worrying will not help."

While this sort of drivel may seem at first blush to be bullet proof logic, in truth it relies on unrealistic simplifying assumptions which are not true. For example, it assumes that we have perfect knowledge about whether or not a solution exists for a problem, which is seldom the case. It ignores the cost versus benefit tradeoff of any solution to a problem, and instead simply assumes that solutions are free. It ignores the real situation of having to choose from multiple solutions with imperfect information about their probable outcomes. I will not bore you with the many other obvious ommisions.

This sort of pop psychology works only if the problems that it pretends to address are reduced to simplistic, academic questions. Simplistic, academic questions are not the normal fare for those of us who struggle in the real world.

There are certainly better books available that address the issues of happiness and how to achieve it.

A very easy book to read and a great antidote to the excesses of our western life style of consumption and greed.

It provides an easily digestible look at practical ways to live simply and happily.

It can seem patronising and too simple in places, it discusses things that are pretty obvious to most but that is because there is much truth in what the Dalai Lama says and his philosophy is pretty simple.

Live Happily!

perhaps mr. cutler did add what you might consider unnecessary words to this text (this is a subjective opinion). your personal feelings towards mr. cutler invoke an attitude which is antithetical to the theme and the words in this book. whether or not mr. cutler is a favorite of yours is not relevant. it appeared that he did make an effort towards a better understanding of His Holiness' teachings. this in itself is worthy of praise.

A very easy book to read and a great antidote to the excesses of our western life style of consumption and greed.

It provides an easily digestible look at practical ways to live simply and happily.

It can seem patronising and too simple in places, it discusses things that are pretty obvious to most but that is because there is much truth in what the Dalai Lama says and his philosophy is pretty simple.

Live Happily!

A very easy book to read and a great antidote to the excesses of our western life style of consumption and greed.

It provides an easily digestible look at practical ways to live simply and happily.

It can seem patronising and too simple in places, it discusses things that are pretty obvious to most but that is because there is much truth in what the Dalai Lama says and his philosophy is pretty simple.

Live Happily!

A very easy book to read and a great antidote to the excesses of our western life style of consumption and greed.

It provides an easily digestible look at practical ways to live simply and happily.

It can seem patronising and too simple in places, it discusses things that are pretty obvious to most but that is because there is much truth in what the Dalai Lama says and his philosophy is pretty simple.

Live Happily!

A very easy book to read and a great antidote to the excesses of our western life style of consumption and greed.

It provides an easily digestible look at practical ways to live simply and happily.

It can seem patronising and too simple in places, it discusses things that are pretty obvious to most but that is because there is much truth in what the Dalai Lama says and his philosophy is pretty simple.

Live Happily!

A very easy book to read and a great antidote to the excesses of our western life style of consumption and greed.

It provides an easily digestible look at practical ways to live simply and happily.

It can seem patronising and too simple in places, it discusses things that are pretty obvious to most but that is because there is much truth in what the Dalai Lama says and his philosophy is pretty simple.

Live Happily!

Some previous reviews belittled the efforts of Dr. Cutler, but this book reads just as Cutler describes in his introduction. He states that if you're looking for a book that delves deeply into fundamental Buddhism, this is not the book you're looking for. This is simply a book that relates the practice of Western psychotherapy and the Dr.'s personal practice to the wisdom and practice of the Dalai Lama. It is a very interesting book - mostly through the Dalai Lama's ability to relate his teachings not just to modern practicing Buddhists, but he segments his advice towards the Christian audience and to non-believers. I highly recommend this book.

it saddens me to think that there are people in the world who would think anything but Love and compassion for the Dalai Lama. the Dalai Lama's only purpose in life is to just love others, without exception. how can someone say he is going to hell? really? how? if you look at any world religions you will see that the qualities that are in the dalai lama are the qualities that these religions are trying to produce. I hope and pray that who ever has negative feelings for beings like the dalai lama take a good hard look at their way of thinking and work to change their mind. true happiness IS achievable, if only we opened up our hearts and minds to the words of beings like the dalai lama. I have read over 4 books by his holiness and every book I find something new. I have read the art of happiness 4 times so far and will read it many more. his holiness' favorite prayer, "as long as space endures, as long as there are beings to be found, May I continue likewise to remain, to drive away the sorrows of the world"

I was disappointed with this. It's not actually written by the Dalai Lama, it's a book long interview with him conducted by an American psychologist, and as such is very secular in viewpoint. Not what I was looking for. It's not without its nuggets of wisdom but if you're looking for something about Tibetan Buddhism, look elsewhere.

This book has been cleverly put together. It is mostly written for a Western audience to benefit from His insight on how to attain happiness. The Dalai Lama comes across as a compassionate human being offering his wisdom to help us achieve that goal, very rarely do you actually think of a "religious figure" doing the talking. I have to say I immediately have begun to feel the impact of his words in my life. I am now more aware, that each person I encounter is a human being just like me, with similar struggles and joys. Kindness, caring, tolerance and compassion are words to live by.

This book really hit home. I must have an inner Buddha cause I believe I think like they do, aside from the eternal life stuff. It's the way they deal with suffering that I can identify with. Letting go of what ails you can definitely help you achieve peace of mind. I thought the book was well conceived as well. A western psychologist travels with and conducts a series of interviews with the Dalai Lama. Then interprets the answers from his perspective, but also in an objective way. Looking for the eastern wisdom that can be understood by our western culture. Loved it!

This was my first Dalai Lama book. Everytime I would pick it up to read, within 5 minutes, I would be overwhelmed with a sense of peace, compassion and humbleness. It's truly wonderful how the Dalai Lama is able to invoke such strong feelings within a person who knew very little about him and his teachings. His quiet wisdom, manifested to me only through the written word fills me with a newly discovered respect for his teachings and Buddhism in general, something which I will be exploring more in depth now.

I listened to the audio tape rather than reading it, so maybe I missed something. I definitely admire the Dalai Lama and what he stands for, but what the book preaches is pretty logical for any normal human being and served more as a reminder rather than new insight. Compassion and happiness...easier said than done, at least in our society today. I wish he would've explained more how he came to what he is...why and how he doesn't crave what he doesn't have, or get angry when wrong has hit him. It seemed like he was basically preaching to the choir. Anyone who would read his book would hope to get more out of what he gave. What he said was logical and nothing I haven't heard before. The meditations were pretty cool, and I wish he wouldn't gotten more into them. It seemed a little repetetive, but it was a good reminder of how we should all be living our lives. Although I could go hang out with my parent's for a couple of hours for this reminder.

The Art of Happiness is definitely a must for all the people who never get enough of self-development. There's plenty of treasure inside this book that will enrich your lives for years to come. What makes this book a-must is that the interviewer of Dalai Lama, related his own experiences in the book from what he learned during the interviews with Dalai Lama.

In one word everyone should read this book without any prejudice.

Enjoy

I found this book to be deeply moving. The Dalai Lama's teachings revealed to me the profound problems we have with disconnectivity in our society. My one criticism of the book is that the co-author, Howard Cutler, did not seem to appreciate what the Dalai Lama was saying. His anecdotes (and his questions) revealed that he had not grasped the essence of what the Dalai Lama was trying to teach him. His commentary, interspersed with wonderful interviews with the Dalai Lama, can be quite intrusive, and counteracting the feelings of harmony and enlightenment that the Dalai Lama's lessons produce.

I have to agree with one of the previous reviewers. I enjoyed the Dalai Lama's excellent commentary on how to live ones life and the general introductions into the buddist faith. But the narration from Cutler is at least 2 to 1 as much as actual hearing from the Dalai Lama. Cutler gives too many examples that are so basic as to be insulting to the average reader. I also found myself skipping his analysis and going straight to the more thought inspiring sections where the Dalai Lama speaks for himself.

Instead, it is authored by a Western psychologist, and although it contains copious quotes by the H.H. the Dalai Lama, it can be described best as a stilted attempt to fit Buddhist wisdom into Western worldviews, stilted because this is not really possible and why would you want it to be? Personally, I found the book poorly organized, diluted, and unpersuasive. Laced in between quotes by the H.H. the Dalai Lama are the authors perpetual doubts and confusion. In certain cases he offers half-hearted and glossed-over attempts to justify what he personally sees as flaws or inadequacies within Buddhist thought, however in most cases these are not fully developed and are certainly not presented in a cohesive and comprehensible format.
It was a noble effort, attempting to present Buddhism to a wider audience through a popular work authored by a more Western, and seemingly approachable author, and though I don't necessarily think this task impossible, I do not believe it was well accomplished in this work. Having said that, what's more is that the H.H. the Dalai Lama himself does a well enough job of making his message approachable simply through translation and interpreters. For this, seek out Live in a Better Way or Ethics for the New Millenium.

I have spent much of the last two years completely enveloping myself in study of Tibetan Buddhism and Tibetan Culture. I was a little unsure at first of how I would feel about His Holiness' words being filtered through a psychologist. In the end, I was delighted with the outcome of the book. The Dalai Lama feels it is so important to cross cultural boundaries and promote understanding and peace between cultures and religions. I believe this book does just what the Dalai Lama strives to do. It opens a window into Tibetan Buddhism and Culture and finds a way to cross the boundary into Western skeptical society. I loved that Cutler was so honest about his original views about some of the things the Dalai Lama had to say and how seeing those ideals put into practice, and actually finding psychological study to corroborate these practices, changed his view of what might be considered sentimental idealism. It's a perfect way to bring Tibetan Buddhism out of the esoteric and into the mainstream.

Both stars are for the miniscule amount actually involving the Dalai Lama. I am surprised though that he allowed Dr. Cutler to pretend that the book was written by the Dalai Lama. It is a series of interviews in which Cutler asks questions which seem based more on his own ideological hang-ups than on a true attempt to avail himself (and thus his readers) of the wisdom and incredibly valuable time of this great man. Indeed Cutler readily admits that certain questions were based on recent events in his life -- hardly well investigated and reasoned questions. He then exhaustively analyzes what was said (the bulk of the book is his tedious analysis), often missing the point completely. Having said that, the Dalai Lama did the best he could to answer these sometimes ridiculous questions. For the person unfamiliar with bhuddism, this book may help make you feel good, like one of those pick-me-up E-mails from a friend. For the person more familiar with the teachings of His Holiness, you may gain a little by ignoring all but the interview passages (making it about a 20-page book tops). For the truly unhappy person, you will find little. But I urge you not to give up. True happiness is in the mind as the Dalai Lama says, and there are better books to bridge the gap between west and east. Although Taoism and Bhuddism differ, I recommend The Tao of Pooh as a good start to exploring a very different way of looking at your life.

I may be a slight bit biased, because HH the 14th Dalai Lama is my personal hero, but this book was probably one of the best books I have ever read. I found Cutler's remarks a little difficult to get used to, but by the third chapter, I was really enjoying his insight. His questions and issues with many of the ideas brought forth by the Dalai Lama echoed my own, and I enjoyed seeing these ideas in a new and different light. All in all, this book has helped me examine my own life and make changes to make it more fulfilling and happy. This is a good book for anyone to read, regardless of religion or philosophy.

I highly recommend this book. I have read a few other books by HH Dalai Lama, but this one is my favorite. Cutler asks questions about topics such as compassion, anger and anxiety. HH Dalai Lama gives very thoughtful answers. It's like sitting down and having the conversation with HH yourself! You can also sense the warmth and humor this wonderful man possesses ~ his beautiful nature inspires me every day to be a better person.

I have been unable to finish reading this book; I came to the the store reviews thinking "is it me?" and found there are some others who feel as I do.
I couldn't read without a troubling thought constantly nagging me. 'Why is this book sold as the Dalai Lama's?' It [appears to be} a fraud - it is prominently Cutler's book.
As you read your mind is distracted in figuring out whose words are whose. They are not well indicated by simple things like quotation marks. One can tell, to some degree - the rambling repetitive restatements are Cutler's.
Sadly disappointed.

I first picked up a copy of The Art of Happiness not long after it was originally published. I was at a crossroads in my life, and the universe seemed to be placing great big STOP signs along all the paths I thought I should take. I was in my early twenties and although looking back, the problems that seemed to be insurmountable at the time really weren't, I found great comfort in the words of the Dalai Lama and American psychologist, Howard C. Cutler's take on them.

I have this work in two forms, Hardcover and Audiobook. This review will focus mostly on the Audiobook as it is the version I have revisited many times over the years. Voiceover actor, Earnest Abuba reads the part of the Dalai Lama, and his clear, melodic voice imbues the whole production with the feeling of a guided meditation.

Read the full review at http://www.angelashori.com/book-reviews/the-art-of-happiness-by-his-holiness-the-dalai-lama-and-howard-c-cutler

While searching for spiritual meaning in my life, I stumbled onto the Art of Happiness by His Holiness, the Dalai Lama. Raised a Catholic who married a Jew and raising 2 boys in the liberal Universalist Unitarian Church, I was searching for truth and meaning. I not only understood what the Dalai Lama was saying in his book, I agreed and began eliminating negative states of mind such as anger from my life and began practicing compassion. Now, a year later, as a practicing Buddhist I meditate daily and have developed the tools to deal with the realities of life and death. The dialogues between Cutler and His holiness were absolutely genius. I have recommended this book to several friends and family, and several have had similar experiences as I. As a person with a very conservative job, ie CPA, my friends and family were quite surprised to see the changes in my life. I recommend this book to anyone who has not found all the answers to the question of how to find happiness.

I was surprisingly disappointed with this book. What I wanted to read was words from the Dalai Lama; what I ended up reading was mostly the words of Dr. Cutler. It seemed more like a psychology book, referring to studies and so forth. There were pages and pages of words by Cutler, then a couple of paragraphs from Dalai Lama. Definitely not what I thought it would be

Once you begin to read this book it is hard to stop. This handbook takes us down a path travelled by a psychiatrist and the Dalai Lama sharing with us their thoughts for living. We see that the man of science and the man of religion learn from one another and both find that sometimes there are answers and sometimes not. This is an excellent book for those who have never read a book on Eastern religion and also for those who have been absent from reading those books for awhile. This book can change your life in a positive way. Read this book. Put it aside. Read it again. It is a delight in every way.

This book has a very simple title but contains a very deep and true message about the acquisition of happiness. A thoroughly enjoyable read regardless of your religious orientation. Its simplicity is welcome and its truth universal. For a man who has suffered such a displacement as the Dalai Lama has to be able to write in this manner is proof positive about the books content and value.

Stephanie Brothers
Philosophy 211
Kevin Browne
Book Review
Fall 2002
Living enjoyable, happy lives is something that most try to strive for; however, the path to "happiness" is not always readily apparent. The Art of Happiness: a Handbook for Living, by Howard C. Cutler, MD and His Holiness the Dalai Lama is a collection of insight and conversations from the authors. The Dalai Lama gave public talks in Arizona, which Mr. Cutler attended, and they also had many private conversations both in America and while traveling in India. Based on these conversations, Mr. Cutler composed his text, which is intended to be a guide to eliminating the obstacles to and finding happiness. They feel that happiness is determined more by one's state of mind rather than external events, and you can train yourself to change the common practices that lead to an unhappy state of mind.
I found the ideas in this book very interesting as well as practical and logically consistent. I think that this text defends their point very strongly. They argue the premise that through having a positive outlook and avoiding, or gaining a new perspective on, negative events, we can personally control our level of happiness.
The authors provide a good, inductively strong argument. I say this because although the reasoning is good, it is possible to imagine some situations in which a person could not successfully employ these practices. I believe that the basic premise is true; your perspective does strongly shape your level of contentment. The Dalai Lama explains, "While undergoing rigorous training, an athlete may suffer a lot... but the athlete doesn't see it as a painful experience. The athlete would take it as a great accomplishment... but if the same person were subject to some other physical work that was not part of his athletic training, then the athlete would think, `Oh, why have I been subjected to this terrible ordeal?' So the mental attitude makes a tremendous difference" (Cutler 118).
The Dalai Lama offers several more suggestions for cultivating a better outlook. One is to act with compassion toward every person that you meet. He suggests trying to relate to them on the basic level that you are both human. Connecting on this level opens doors to other connections, and it is one basic quality that we all have. Learning to connect with others on this level will allow you to have a happier outlook. He explains the idea in the following passage. "In generating compassion, you start by recognizing that you do not want suffering and you have a right to have happiness. This can be verified or validated by your own experience. You recognize then that other people, just like yourself, also do not want to suffer and that they have a right to have happiness. So this becomes the basis of your beginning to generate compassion" (Cutler 128).
Suffering and problems in our lives are one of the obstacles to happiness. This too, he suggests, can be controlled by outlook. Accepting that suffering will be a part of your life can prepare you for it; it will make you more tolerant, less overwhelmed when bad events come about. "Without a certain degree of tolerance toward suffering, your life becomes miserable; the it becomes like having a very bad night. That night seems eternal, it never seems to end" (Cutler 141).
The claims that the authors make are very well supported, and they are explained very clearly and thoroughly. This book does a particularly good job of taking all evidence into account and addressing opposing arguments and views. In the beginning, Mr. Cutler is a skeptic of the method as well. He assails the Dalai Lama with endless questions, turning his theory inside and out. However, the Dalai Lama responds each time with well thought out, logically consistent replies. This makes the argument particularly convincing; you are able to follow Mr. Cutler in his thought process of eventually accepting this theory.
Overall, I found this argument to be very sound, with no real logical fallacies. The authors do an excellent job of explaining the basic premise that our perception controls our mood, and they are fair in taking into account that some people may not be able to control their mood. They also address that cultivating this new outlook and making real changes takes a long period of time; it will always be a developing process. The authors provide a very solid argument that finding happiness is something that is possible for us all.
References
H.H. the Dalai Lama and Howard C. Cutler, MD. The Art of Happiness: a Handbook for Living. Riverhead Books, New York, 1998.

I was excited to read The Art of Happiness because I love learning about different perspectives on happiness. Although I find the book's principles interesting, I am often too distracted by the continuous grammatical errors to absorb the life lessons. The first sentence of chapter one is grammatically incorrect. I immediately noted that although the sentence ends with a quote, it does not begin with one. Luckily, this does not harm the sentence's content. However, on pages 24 and 25, I noticed that multiple sentences began with quotes, but they did not end with quotes. This is a major problem. Without proper quotation, the text is unreliable. At this point, how can anyone truly confirm the Dalai Lama's thoughts from Howard Cutler's beliefs? The severity of the book's grammatical errors are infringing on the validity of its content. I will continue reading the book, but I feel its poor grammar takes away from the essence of the book as a piece of literature.

As a practicing Buddhist, I wanted to let others know that part of the tradition of the Buddhist scriptures was to write goshos (letters) in the form of a Q&A, generally between a non-believer and an enlightened one. So Dr. Cutler is following along a well-traveled path by playing 'Devil's advocate' so to speak, and I am sure that the Dalai Lama completely understood that. Buddhism believes in a healthy skepticism on the part of believers because it safeguards against losing one's sense of autonomy to a religious authority. I feel every religion can learn a great deal about themselves and others by studying Budddhist thought. Regardless of the 'vehicle' that you drive, we are all headed for the same destination ultimately!

I enjoyed this book immensely, and - although it is something of a cliché - it has changed my life.

I like the way that Howard Cutler has been honest by sharing his own doubts and hesitation to accept the Tibetan teachings that the Dalai Lama shared with him.

Learning how his thinking progressed in his interactions with the the Dalai Lama reflected my own experiences of reading this book.

It is NOT an instructional book and I think that the subtitle's reference to it being an handbook may be misleading.

It IS an inspirational text that will provoke thought and cause you to challenge your thinking, and I certainly have benefited from this book more than any other I have read!

I thoroughly recommend it - it would make a great gift for anyone going through a difficult time.

This is a good book to help you learn about the principles and ideas of Buddhism. Written for a Western audience, it takes up problems of daily life and how to be happy with the right mode of thinking. How to live a balanced, peaceful and happy life. Reading the book is easy. How to follow its teachings perhaps not that easy, but obviously worthwhile.
-Simon

This was a great intro into concepts of Buddhism. I particularly liked the passages on compassion, shifting perspective and empathy.
If you're seeking a way that is not based on rigid doctrine or one that is not riddled with fear/guilt producing reasons to behave a certain way, this may be a good first stop. This path definitely requires a paradigm shift.

This book is all about the wrong feelings we get when our minds are still focus on the wrong objectives or the bad intention.

This man describe the right way to get away from all those thoughts which keep us into bad mood and drive us through bad decisions.

His solution is far away from religion or any other bad medication. He just explain what is going bad in our mind and how to feel better. And all this has nothing to do with any god.

He is a kind of spiritual guy I trust and his philosophy is the best religion that has never existed.

You will be converted as soon as you start reading this book.

'The Art of Happiness' made me realize that happ-iness is not something that happens. It is something we all have to work for. This book has also changed my attitude towards suffering - I try to find a lesson hidden in it instead of feeling sorry for myself. And last but not least, 'The Art of Happiness' deepened my belief that despite all chaos and confusion life may bring, Love is always the answer. The book is a great inspiration to me both in my writing and in my daily struggles.Balancing the Beast: A Bright View of Schizoaffective Disorder - Bipolar or Manic-Depressive Type

I am about half way through this book and am a bit dissappointed. I wanted to see what others thought of the book and BlueJack's review, unfortunately hits the nail on the head. This is Cutler's book. This book is not by the Dalai Lama. While I do think the concepts of a right to happiness, compassion, non-reaction, etc., are great for personal spiritual growth, I feel that the Dalai Lama's true message has been filtered through a much less able interpreter. I find Eckhart Tolle much more transformative. If you are interested in how Buddhism can help a non-Buddhist read "The Naked Buddha."

As noted in other reviews, the cover is misleading in suggesting this is written by the Dalai Lama. The book is written by the rather average writer and psychiatrist Howard Cutler who lists his name as second author although he is really the sole author. Cutler uses quotations from some interviews he had with the Dalai Lama to justify the deceptive authorship credit. The quotations are very thinly spread through the book and you will find nothing new here. I presume this is legal, but I felt cheated and really struggled to extend loving compassion to Cutler and the publishers of this book. Read some of the texts really written by the Dalai Lama or the excellent and beautifully written book "Happiness" by Matthieu Ricard instead.

This book was one of the first I have read to do with Buddhism and working towards contentment, and i was very impressed. I can honestly say that it changed my views about myself and the way i thought about others and the environment to a more positive and constructive vision. I came away from it feeling more enlightened about how one should live their life and also explains away problems which one may encounter and reasons why people act in certain ways. What sets it apart from other buddhist books is the addition of a psychologists perspective who is comparing Buddhist beliefs to modern day psychology and outlines interesting examples and theories from the western perspective which run alongside Buddhism.

A clumsy attempt that does not do the Dalai Lama, or his message, justice. Cutler comes across as a self absorbed, immature elitist -- the stereotypical example of a person with a lot of book learning and no common sense. And, judging from his childish reactions to the people he encounters (the couple in the restaurant, the lady on the airplane,...), I certainly wouldn't rush to this guy for therapy!

A great book that really creates a clear set of guidelines for how buddhist thought can help inform and creat a sense of inner peace. I thought the author did a good job of being something of a western foil/skeptic to many of the Dalai Lama's ideas - it made the book come across more believably.

This book has made me a happier person. I found the material relevant,thought provoking,and interesting. The writing style is very readable and I found myself thinking of ways to incorporate this material into my everyday life. This is a must read book for anyone searching to enrich their life.

I am the angry young man. Parenthood (twice) has knocked me down a little, but I still have a temper I try to control. Some of the concepts presented here aren't new, but the order and manner in which they are presented, as well as some personal reflections by Dr. Cutler, are very effective.
Since reading the book, I've been able to control myself in many situations, and I've even been able to better understand a co-worker with many "issues." The corporate world, in particular, is filled with blame and "it's-not-fairs." Dealing with your spouse in bad financial times is another scenario where this book's concepts apply. From someone who has been generally "angry" his whole life, I give this 5 stars.

A bit of a tough read, but worthwhile all the same! It takes the Dalai Lama's views and mixes them with explanations from an American psychiatrist (East meets West). The result is a useful tool kit for creating more happiness in your life, but beware, it requires some deep thought - and some very active mental changes in your normal patterns of behaviour. Happiness, it seems, requires a great deal of mental discipline! But remember, its the end purpose we are working towards, not the short term pleasure...so put those chocolates away, and read the book!

If you are not a Buddhist, do not fret, there is not a lot of religion in here and it is deliberately tailored to a secular audience.

"The Art of Happiness" has given me a new perspective on life. Being nice to people as a way to achieve happiness for yourself is a new idea to me. The Dalai Lama expresses the importance of compassion and love towards others. Another of his main points is that we should accept people for what they are: people just like us, who only want to be happy. This book is a breath of fresh air in a world filled with greed and selfishness. Dr. Cutler is successful in putting the Dalai Lama's principles in a Western point of view, as he appears to be a typical American. I loved the book and will certainly read it again. It can help everyone achieve happiness.

This book presents the Buddhist vision of true happiness and peace.I also recommend 'The Path of Mindfulness Meditation' available through the store, for a practical look at the path of mindfulness, which is central to the Buddhist path towards happiness.

Always one to be skeptical of these kinds of collaborative book efforts, I think it's important to point out that 'The Art of Happiness' was written not by the Dalai Lama, but by Howard C. Cutler, a psychiatrist. Dr. Cutler weaves together exerpts from numerous conversations with the Dalai Lama spanning many years, and from public talks given throughout Arizona in 1993. The result is an enjoyable treatise on a topic of widespread importance: happiness (or the lack thereof). I also recommend "Open Your Mind, Open Your Life: A Little Book of Eastern Wisdom" by Taro Gold.

This book is an excellent introduction to attaining happiness through the conscious maintenance of compassion, kindness, forgiveness, understand and love for all others. In doing so, you leave no room for hatred, jealousy and other negatives to exist in your life - hence, happiness! I was skeptical but I'm now surprised at how easy this can be accomplished. This is a must-read for all.

I think this is a good "self-help" book for learning how to deal with simple depression, loneliness, or jealousy, but I would not recommend it if you are trying to gain insight into the Buddhist religion or teachings. The book would have also been better if there were more exerpts from the Dalai Lama's specches and less psychological babble from the author.

The Dalai Lama in his book "The Art of Happiness" provides a primer to the inquisitive western mind seeking enlightenment from the east.
Another eastern spiritual master that provides more detail and practical methodology is Sri Chinmoy in his excellent books "Meditation" and "Beyond Within".

This is a fabulous book and I suggest this to anyone going thru difficult times and you need something uplifting and helpful to get you thru some tough times. The Art of happiness has helped me be more productive and motivated, as well as appreciate life and the people in it. This is by far, my favorite book. Loved it, and I find it soooo useful in everyday situations. Excellent book, from beginning to end!!!!

Eventhough I'm not a budhist, but I welcome all the sense of budhism. I love the ideas and I practice the points in the book combined with my personal believe. These have created happiness and peace within me. This book is a great reference for a searching soul.

This book is HH's best for considering what happiness really is and how we strive to achieve it. Whether a follower or not, this book is the best spiritual guide I have ever read. I read it years ago, gave it to a friend who liked it so much she kept it, so I am replacing the one from my library with the most cherished book I own.

Many of the comments so far focus on the fact that this book isn't an introduction to Buddhism and the Dalai Lama. It doesn't claim to be! If that's what you were expecting, you should shop more carefully. It's about achieving HAPPINESS, people! It gives the Eastern approach, with Cutler playing Devil's Advocate with his very Western approach. Nor does it give any ready answers - that's up to you as the reader, and isn't for lazy readers. In my opinion, this book is a tool to promote thought, not a manifesto, nor a TV programme. I not only enjoyed it, but enjoyed the directions in which it sent my thoughts.

I felt deceived by the cover and touted authorship. Certainly the Dalai Lama is more substantial than this glimpse of him we receive through the restricted lens of a western psychiatrist who often comes off as petty, immature and missing the big picture...

This was the first by the Dalia Lama that I've ever bought, was an impulse buy. I was extremely disappointed to discover that it was written by Dr Cutler with excerpts from interviews and speeches made by Dalai Lama. :[ I agreed with several principles of the book, but overall I was left unhappy.

The Art of Happiness by none other than the Dalai Lama! I couldn't wait to get the book and start reading. What A MAJOR DISSAPPOINTMENT! Boring, lacks the insights and wisdom I expected. I honestly could not force myself to continue reading this book!!! This book continues to sell only because of its title and the picture on the cover!
If you want to be enlightened read anything by Zen master Thich Nhat Hahn, I loved "Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life".
If you want to know about the nature of happiness read "Authentic Happiness" by Martin Seligman.

After reading many many books by several empowering authors such as, Deepak Chopra, Dr. Wayne Dyer,Marianne Williamson, and Tiffany Snow, that I am still reading,my life has opened up to me in such a compelling and wonderful way. This new book is well written, and thought provoking. There are great transforming authors, who shift the consciousness of humankind in a way never known before. The "Art of Happiness" is one of those.

I salute the Dalai Lama to have the courage to say "I don't know" on confronting with common human problems, such as a self-destructive woman mentioned by Dr. Howard Cutler. But His Holiness did answer the question, in a more unhurried way, which he called The Art of Happiness. In the book he raised more questions than a psychiatrist could raise and answered some of them which not even a neuroscientist would like to try. Life is not mysterious, but to be happy is. We need medical sciences definitely, but a humanly love or concern, no matter how faint, should not be slighted.

Cutler explains that happiness is to want what we have, that happiness is an achievable goal.

Sweep Away Your Thorny Childhood: Eight Steps to a Life of Well-Being

Is there any other person out there who feels that HH the Dalai Lama has written too many books? Buddhism may be the most difficult of all religions, but in its essence, Buddhism is the simplest. None of these books is necessary to achieve what is already in everyone. So in my humble opinion, I think it would be better to pick anyone one of his books as they are all generally the same: compassion. lose your ego. etc. However, if the books are used for his cause of Tibetan liberation, then by all means support it by buying his books. Otherwise, all you need is one of his books, a difficult life experience, and a lot of meditation. The Dalai Lama is a great being indeed.

This is my favorite book, hands down. The great feeling it gives you just reading the Dalai Lama's caring words are an experience to be had by all. He has the wisdom of thousands of years of religious practice plus his own life experiences...why not learn what he has to say?

This book is the best I have ever read in my whole life. 10 years or so ago I was going through a divorce and suicidal with depression. Taking his book's words to heart got me through it and has made me a happier person forever more.

This book has given me the greatest advice that I have ever received: The goal of all humans is to achieve happiness. Besides this insight, every chapter opened my eyes to new happiness inducing ideas. I recommend that everyone read this book because when you're happier, your family and friends become happier as well. I think we owe it to all our loved ones to reach our highest level of happiness possible and I think this book is capable of doing just that.

I watched the Dalai Lama at one of his dialogues recently. He is a very beautiful man, a master, and a great crowd pleaser. Sadly, I know that for most of us, the inspiration gained in his presence is not enough to carry us through the day to day problems of life, and we may soon forget his comforting words. More than that, there are no practically applicable answers here. Our 'unhappiness' is deeply ingrained through what may be years of dysfunction, and cannot be shifted permanently and effectively by reading a book like this. From the book: '...one sets about gradually eliminating those factors which lead to suffering and cultivating those which lead to happiness. That is the way." Well I am sorry, but I have no clue how to do this! The best book I have found that actually gives you practical solutions is Olga Sheean's Fit for Love: Find Your Self and Your Perfect Mate, which provides powerful answers through our relationships with each other, to properly address these problems.

Prior to reading this book, I was virtually unaware of the teachings of His Holiness, the Dalai Lama. Although at times I thought that Dr. Cutler was a bit harsh and slanted in the descriptions of his conversations with the Dalai Lama, it seemed that in the end, he always came around to see and express the true depth and insight of this compassionate human being. I realized after reading this book, that I want to know more about the principles of Tibetan Buddhism, which have made the Dalai Lama the kind, loving and enlightened person he is. Definitely worth reading!

This book was a decent read, but I found Cutler to be a bit overwhelming. It seemed as if he was trying to question the simplicty and thoughts of His Holiness. And also it seemed that he was trying to boast of his own experiences and cases, using the Buddhist thought and way to perhaps make himself look smart or just to say "Yeah that's how I see it too!" This was a easy to understand book and for that I must give him credit. But it was bit weighed down with Cutler's own personal agenda. There are many other good books by and about His Holiness which are much more insightful.

I very much enjoyed this book. The Dalai Lama explains some of the basic principles of Buddhism which I have been able to use in my own life. I highly recommend this book to anyone who would like to see the world and themselves from a more relaxed, accepting perspective.

The self-absorbed co-author of this book, Howard C. Cutler, M.D. was so caught up in his own form of psycho-babble that the Dalai Lama took a distant second billing in content. This book should be re-titled H.C. Cutler's interpretations of H.C. Cutler.

For many years, I have been both facinated by and interested in the Dali Lama. This book, while it doesn't exactly give answers, it certainly gives hope and direction to a more peaceful spirituality, and a road to finding your own answers and happiness. And I now have great admiration for Dr. Cutler, who did a wonderful job of transcribing his insightful interviews into a book. Dr. Cutler did not just write what they discussed, he gave his own interpretation and thoughts as well. This is a truly great book.

This book was given to my by a friend when i was going through a rough spot in my life. I found the advice easy to follow and it is full of inspiration and power. Most of the content of this book is things that we all should already know, but finding it there in black and white made DOING it so much easier. I covers a wide varitey of topics and anyone who needs help in finding there own inner happiness will learn a great deal. This book was written for everyone, of all faiths and all backgrouds. His holiness speaks of universal love and compassion for ALL who are suffering. This one is for sure one to be added to anyones personal library.

Happiness is not a goal that can be achieved through seeking. No search has ever realized happiness because the very activity of seeking confirms unhappiness.

Therefore, whatever your state in the moment, it must be transcended in present happiness. If you find yourself seeking then you are not presently happy are you?

This whole notion about the pursuit of happiness is completely false. You must give up the search and then you realize that you are already happy.

So the Dalai Lama is recommending the traditional error of seeking and whatever else he recommends as useful practical advice is tainted by this initial premise. Funnily enough, when asked if he is happy, he says yes, so if he is happy, what need is there to seek?

A better teaching would be to point out that everyone is already seeking; for money, power, sex, good food, whatever, and finding that the search is never satisfied. The point is not to channel that activity and search for spiritual satisfaction. The point is to understand that seeking is suffering.

I say, "You cannot become happy. You can only be happy!"