The Book of Joy
by Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu and Douglas Abrams
A week of conversations between two elderly friends, a Buddhist and a Christian, both veterans of suffering, on joy: its obstacles (fear, anger, grief) and its pillars (perspective, humility, humor, acceptance, forgiveness, gratitude, compassion, generosity). It is warm, funny and wise, with science and practices at the end.
Read it if…
you want a joyful, humane book from people who earned the right to speak about joy.
Skip it if…
you want secular rigor; the book is spiritual in two traditions.
Three things you will actually use
- Widen perspective; your suffering is shared.
- Laugh at yourself; humility and humor travel together.
- Give; joy comes from generosity.
Do this first
Practice one of the eight pillars today; humor and gratitude are the easiest to start.
Our verdict
Warm, wise and genuinely joyful.
Compare with other Gratitude books
Build the Life You Want
Arthur C. Brooks and Oprah Winfrey · Gratitude
Gentle, grounded and readable; a good introduction to happiness as practice.
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The Daily Stoic
Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman · Gratitude
A good daily companion; the practice matters more than the prose.
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In Praise of Slowness
Carl Honoré · Gratitude
An enjoyable, thoughtful survey; a philosophy more than a method.
CLICK TO SEEBrowse all Gratitude book reviews or get the free Reality Code Cheat Sheet.
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