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The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living

The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living

List Price: $23.95
Your Price: $16.29
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Don't listen to what I have to say
Review: I liked this book....no I didn't like it.........I like this book........no I didn't like it..............I liked this book....no I didn't like it.........I like this book........no I didn't like it..............I liked this book....no I didn't like it.........I like this book........no I didn't like it...........I liked this book....no I didn't like it.........I like this book........no I didn't like it..............

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: His Holiness as translated by His Ho-Humness
Review: The book is worth buying just for the nuggets of wisdom from H.H. that Cutler leaves alone. Cutler shares a lot of anecdotes that don't really facilitate any learning. Actually, I felt they were self-indulgent. Cutler seemd to be considering the Dalai Lama's words right on the page...like a journal, and for a book that esposuses to provide valuable lessons in living in compassion, it acts too often as a forum for Cutler's own thoughts and understandings. In short, Cutler didn't add to the learning. Buy the book and go "Thomas Jefferson" on it...cut out the worthwhile quotes, distill the good message, and benefit!

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Disappointed
Review: 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

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Cutler's share of the pie
Review: This book was a major disappointment. I am familiar with books written solely by the Dalai Lama, such as the "Library of Tibet" series, which are much more engrossing and have much more substance than Cutler's book. Cutler attempts (successfully, sadly) to have his share of the profitable market that involves the Dalai Lama's writings. The book is insipid, does not try to explain any important issue in the light of Buddhist philosophy, and only rehashes issues that several other westerners already wrote about. It's another big ego trip: we keep hearing time and again about his opportunities to be with the Dalai Lama. What a shame, Cutler. I sold the book as soon as I finished it.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A Remarkable Book
Review: 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.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Removing your frustration on the journey Towards Happines..
Review: In pursuit of Happiness is our life long goal. This book simply creates a wonderful mixture of western and eastern culture to guide you on your path to true happiness.

A riveting read for people in search of a balanced life and certainly covering all dimensions of your personal growth.

Read this book - you will not be disappointed, you will be enlightened.

As featured in the Weekly Web Motivator - Australia's Premier Motivational Mailer

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Required Reading On Your Journey Towards Inner Peace!
Review: 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.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Useful concepts
Review: In The Art of Happiness The Dalai Lama tells listeners how to defeat day-to-day depression, anxiety, anger, jealousy. The concepts are simple but difficult. If you liked this book I would suggest you also read Way of A Peaceful Warrior and An Encounter With A Prophet

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A Very Inspiring Book
Review: "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.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Objective and To The Point ...
Review: I've seldom come across a Buddhist text interjected with scientific findings from psychology ... His Holiness has provided concise and fundamental insights to our everyday problems. Definitely worth a good read, no matter what's your religion :)


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