The Book of Joy

Lasting Happiness in a Changing World

By: Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu, Douglas Carlton Abrams

Narrated by: Douglas Carlton Abrams, Francois Chau, Peter Francis James

Two great spiritual masters share their own hard-won wisdom about living with joy even in the face of adversity.

The occasion was a big birthday. And it inspired two close friends to get together in Dharamsala for a talk about something very important to them. The friends were His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. The subject was joy. Both winners of the Nobel Prize, both great spiritual masters and moral leaders of our time, they are also known for being among the most infectiously happy people on the planet.

From the beginning the book was envisioned as a three-layer birthday cake: their own stories and teachings about joy, the most recent findings in the science of deep happiness, and the daily practices that anchor their own emotional and spiritual lives. Both the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Tutu have been tested by great personal and national adversity, and here they share their personal stories of struggle and renewal. Now that they are both in their eighties, they especially want to spread the core message that to have joy yourself, you must bring joy to others.

Most of all, during that landmark week in Dharamsala, they demonstrated by their own exuberance, compassion, and humor how joy can be transformed from a fleeting emotion into an enduring way of life.


Narration Credits:
Douglas Carlton Abrams, read by the author
Dalai Lama, read by Francois Chau
Desmond Tutu, read by Peter Francis James

Critic reviews

Winner of the 2016 Books for a Better Life Award in Spirituality

“The question may be timeless, but their answer has urgent significance.”
—Time Magazine

"[An] exquisite book...An intimate glimpse into the minds of two of the world's spiritual guides, and their foundation for an attainable and practical approach to experiencing a more enriching and sustainable life of abundant joy."
—Shelf Awareness

"This sparkling, wise, and immediately useful gift to readers from two remarkable spiritual masters offers hope that joy is possible for everyone even in the most difficult circumstances, and describes a clear path for attaining it."
—Publishers Weekly

"The world needs joy and compassion more than ever before – and who better than Archbishop Tutu and the Dalai Lama to show us how it is done. This beautiful book takes us on the journey of their friendship and gives us the gift of their wisdom. A bright spot of hope and love in this world."
—Sir Richard Branson

"It's a book that transports you deep within the intimate friendship that binds these two incredible souls. And it’s a book that vividly probes the very nature of joy itself — the illusions that eclipse it, the obstacles that obscure it, the practices that cultivate it, and the pillars that sustain it."
—Rich Roll, The Rich Roll Podcast

Excellent book with daily practice tips

this was an excellent book, and the contribution from Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama is pretty exceptional. The daily tips on building compassion, forgiveness, and joy are simple, and profound

I recommend this book in print

This is a great book. I recommend this book in print because of meditation techniques descriptions. I ended up writing to many notes on the book under "add notes" and also on paper. Regardless everyone should read this book. I very much enjoyed it.

Finally, some peace

My whole life I've clung to the idea that I'm special, that I am extraordinary, that what I want to achieve no one else can. This book dispels that notion, and replaces it with something more self-consistent, more valuable, and more capable of granting peace.

Awesome audio book!

Heartfelt and beautiful message. A globally touching in that it is okay to live life with kindness and joy in a world that sometimes seems so sinful and cruel.

Just read it.

A sceptical person here. They make me put at least 15 words in this review, but I cannot replicate what I felt and feel with this book.

I love this book!!

I love this book and everything about it. I couldn't wait to get back in my car and listen to some more each day. it is inspiring, enjoyable and very sweet

Joy

This Book could quiet possibly change the world~ 1 soul searching Person at a time! Loved it and sad it's over ~ may have to read periodically throughout my life ;-) Bridgett Blackwood

Profound Book of Wisdom

Many reviewers seem to have summarized the best parts of this book: wisdom from modern spiritual leaders who have faced adversity and still lead us with compassion and joy. I found this book thought-provoking and spiritually centering.

The only disappointments -- I thought it would be entirely the words of Tutu and the Dalai Lama. Instead, most of the time is spent hearing the author's/narrator's thoughts or summary -- or maybe it just seemed that way, since I was irritated by the interjections and summaries. I also would have loved to hear the actual voices of the leaders giving us their insights, but on reflection I understand why they wouldn't have the time to record an audiobook.

On balance, still highly recommended.

A must read for every man kind

I love that you get to hear the author's voices. It resonates more with me. I like that there is mediation practices at the end

Awesome!!! Will recommend to everyone!!!

absolutely loved it, awesome, funny, entertaining, listens to it multiple times, an probably will again, an again!!!