Happiness: A Guide to Developing Life's Most Important Skill

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Mary Christensen, January 28, 2012 (view all comments by Mary Christensen)
There is every reason to read Matthieu Ricard's book "Happiness" if you want to be happy. I am reading it for the second time and have just purchased it again from Powell's for a friend. Ricard is an impressive and valuable combination on this topic. As a young man living in his native France, he received a doctorate from the prestigious Pasteur Institute and worked in the field of molecular biology. Also as a young man, he became a Buddhist monk, now living in the Sechen Monastery in Nepal. He brings together his leaning of the ancient Buddhist teachings with his modern scientific background regarding the connection between the brain and "the mind," the result of which shows the merging of the ancient teachings with the new knowledge of the modern science, all auguring well for the possibility of happiness in our lives. He has taken part in the well-publicised collaboration of the Buddhist community with Western scientists conducting the studies. He takes on the subjects of the damaging emotions of anger, hatred, revenge,and envy-all of which prevent or at least impair one's happiness-and shows the promising evidence that a person can, as a matter of both the science and personal commitment, overcome these self-destructive emotions. The book is not a Buddhist book but one of "secular spirituality," as Ricard describes it. It's for everyone who's ever been stuck in a mind set that prevents happiness. As Ricard describes his purpose, the book is "for the heart and mind of anyone who aspires to a little more joie de vivre and to let wisdom and compassion reign in her or his life."

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Product Details

ISBN:

9780316167253

Author:

Ricard, Matthieu

Publisher:

Little Brown and Company

Translator:

Browner, Jesse

Other:

Goleman, Daniel P.

Subject:

Meditation

Subject:

Buddhism

Subject:

Religious life

Subject:

Buddhism - General

Subject:

Personal Growth - Happiness

Subject:

Religious life (buddhism)

Subject:

Happiness -- Religious aspects -- Buddhism.

Subject:

Religion Eastern-Buddhism

Copyright:

2007

Publication Date:

20070131

Binding:

TRADE PAPER

Language:

English

Pages:

281

Dimensions:

8.26x6.38x.79 in. .59 lbs.