Beautiful read. I'd recommend listening to it to get the full effect. This is one of those books you'll want as a reminder of joy throughout your life, definitely not a one time read.

I decided to read this book after a particularly difficult depressive episode. I had been seeing a therapist, and my mental health was somewhat stagnant, so in my desperation, I attended a mental health seminar hosted by my employer (I know, I know... but that’s a discussion for another time). The counselor leading the seminar casually referenced this book, so I thought “what the hell... why not” and reserved it at my library. The Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu are great spiritual leaders, and despite being an atheist, I still have the utmost respect for them and their teachings.

To my surprise, I was met with a book that was inspired by Buddhist and Christian teachings, but aimed at a general audience. The authors stressed the importance of interfaith relationships and respecting non-religious viewpoints without trying to convert people, and there were also citations of scientific studies to show that faith and science were not enemies. In that respect, I found this book accessible. You don’t have to know anything about Buddhism or Christianity to find value in the book’s contents, and the insights are not faith-based approaches.

I also really liked that this book did a lot to humanize Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama. Too often, it seems like these great spiritual leaders are put on pedestals, somehow too untouchable or too divine to be seen as regular people. But this book stressed their humanity; it showed the great friendship the two leaders had for each other through depictions of the way they teased one another, the way they were considerate about one another’s meals and food preferences, the way they engaged with mundane things like driving through traffic. I appreciated the effort put in to make them seem more down-to-earth; it made it feel as if the advice they were giving was achievable by regular people.

But perhaps the reason why I didn’t rate this book a full 5 stars was that I was hoping for a little more. Don’t get me wrong - I think this book can be immensely helpful, especially if you’re a reader looking for a little bit of guidance in your life. There are some wonderful insights and useful exercises that I found worthwhile, and I do recommend giving this book a try if you’ve been feeling down or depressed. But I think part of the reason why I didn’t get as much out of it is because I think Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama are compelling figures because of their demeanor - the way they make you feel when you speak to them. Their words are powerful, but it’s the affect behind them that makes them stick, and in a book, part of that affect is gone and you just have words on a page.

I also think this book could have delved further into the more difficult topics, like living in poverty, suffering under oppression, and so on. It seems like this book was written in part as a response to questions such as “how do we find joy when there is so much suffering in the world?” and while the Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu talked about poverty, racism, etc., they didn’t go as far as I would have liked. Instead, a lot of their examples about how to deal with stress, anger, fear, etc. involved situations like being stuck in traffic, flights being canceled, and the like, and even some of the more somber examples - such as the Dalai Lama’s exile - seemed to have a lighter air. I don’t make this critique to say I wanted more descriptions of suffering or more details about gratuitous violence; rather, it was difficult for me to follow advice such as “change your perspective” when, for example, people are starving to death or climate change might wipe out entire populations.

TL;RD: The Book of Joy is an insightful interfaith guide to living a more fulfilling life. Though it could have done a little more in terms of acknowledging and addressing suffering, the meditation exercises and the humanizing portraits of Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama were worthwhile in and of themselves, and the book will undoubtedly be useful for readers who are open to the great leaders’ wisdom.

found the main message interesting to read especially the practices at the end, but some parts werent very relevant making the book longer than it should be

I read this book after I read the book of Hope. Both books had wonderful people but again the writing was a bit interruptive. The interview style took me out of the moment so many times. I would have preferred it to be less choppy. But, I still loved reading the insights of the Dalai Lama & Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

This book was by far my favorite read of the year, and that is saying quite a bit because I have read some really good books in 2017. The Book of Joy was so sweet, touching, funny, inspirational, and interesting. I knew relatively little about either the Dalai Lama or Arch Bishop Tutu, but learning about them through their friendship was wonderful. The consistent themes of gratitude and compassion were made even more real by real life tales from both men. I listened to this on audible but midway through I purchased a hard copy for myself (I knew I wanted a copy on my shelf to review and reread), and I gave two copies out as graduation gifts. Beautiful in every way!

One of my favorite reads this year.

I wanted to share this book with people in my life. It was common sense in some ways, but such important messages.

In today's volatile climate, is it even possible to remain joyful? It seems to be more and more of a challenge. And yet there are two men who have survived more than fifty years of exile, violence, and oppression yet remain two of the most joyful men on earth. In 2015 author Douglas Abrams sat with His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu and listened to their conversations and stories of spiritual practice (and much teasing between the two). What he presents in "The Book of Joy" is their reflections on joy, including obstacles such as fear and stress. An example of their discussion includes the notion that suffering is inevitable: it is how we choose to respond that affects our outlook. I'm so glad to have listened to this audio book. I would recommend it to anyone who is feeling pessimistic and needs an inspirational recharge. – Sara Z.