The Art of Happiness at Work

Rating:
Summary: Incompatible ways of life
Review: I would give 5 stars if only the thoughts of Dalai Lama had been presented in the book. However, as we have to read the fool comments and rationalizations of the ''other guy'', I give a 4 stars. The intelligent reader should note the incompatibility between Dalai Lama's thoughts and the ''american way of life'' and capitalist society. The funny thing is that the american guy does not realize this incompatibility and he is unable to question if the american socio-economic environment is adequate to the grow of health human beings. He is all the time worried about ''practical'' advices, a typical characteristic of the conformist american society.
The messages of Dalai Lama are in more agreement with the democratic socialism, expressed for example in ''The Acquisitive Society'' by Tawney or in ''The Sane Society'' by Fromm. By the way, it would be a bless if we could read Dalai Lama interviewed by someone of the stature of Erich Fromm.








Rating:
Summary: The Man is Right - Just Deal With It
Review: If you looking for a magic answer - you are not going to find it here. It's hard to expect it from a man who never worked for a large corporation in the trenches. He can't imagine the level of petiness that the corporate world brings people down to. Nevertheless, The Dalai Lama nailed it. I can summarize his message in this statement. Here goes: "Who said life is fair? Life is tough, deal with it." The man is right...

Rating:
Summary: The Dalai Lama and the Workplace
Review: In 1998, H.H. the Dalai Lama joined Dr. Howard C. Cutler, an American psychiatrist, in writing a book "The Art of Happiness" which became a best-seller. This book taught the importance of "looking within" and of controlling destructive emotions in living a good life and finding happiness.

Dr. Cutler and the Dalai Lama have again collaborated in this follow-up book which applies the insights of the initial volume to life situations which are, typically, the sources of great conflict. Several additional books, in addition to this book exploring the world of work, are underway. The book is based upon a series of conversations held between the Dalai Lama and Dr. Cutler over the course of several years. Dr. Cutler is responsible for the format and editing of the book. The final product was read and approved by the Dalai Lama's interpreter.

Early in the volume, the Dalai Lama reminds Dr. Cutler that the focus of the inquiry is "secular ethics" (p.7) One of the most valuable features of the book is that it shows how the Dalai Lama can use his spiritual tradition to articulate values that can be shared by many people, whether or not they are religious believers. Another feature of the book is the significance of the subject matter. Many people trust and listen to the Dalai Lama where they will be reluctant to accept possibly similar advice from experts, such as psychiatrists, or from teachers in Western religous traditions. The book is deceptively simple in tone and teaching, but hard to realize.

In a series of discussions Dr. Cutler explores with the Dalai Lama the reasons why many people tend to be bored or dissatisfied with their jobs. Dr. Cutler brings to bear many anecdotes from his work as a psychiatrist as well has his familiarity with much contemporary literature on job satisfaction. The Dalai Lama brings to bear his wisdom and insight. Time and again during the conversations, the Dalai Lama takes issue with Dr. Cutler, forcing him to redirect and rephrase his questions and assumptions, and to change the tenor of his approach to questions of happiness in the workplace. The Dalai Lama's approach is marked by its circumspectness. He reiterates that the situation of every individual differs and that questions about work admit of no easy solution. In other words,it is not a case of "one size fits all."

With that said the issues and insights are valuable. Chief among these for me are the Dalai Lama's comments on self-understanding. Much difficulty at work is caused by having an overly inflated or an overly deflated view of ourselves and our abilities. This causes discontent because it gives a picture of our abilities and our expectations of ourselves that are out of touch with reality.

Similarly, the Dalai's teachings in this book about patience, humility, self-control, and compassion for one's co-workers provide a great deal to think about in approaching the workplace. The Dalai Lama, in common with others who have thought about these matters, distinguishes between views of work as a "job", simply to support oneself, a "career", with the goal of advancement and growth, and a "calling" in which a person does what he or she finds important to be of service to others. People necessarily occupy different spaces on this continuum. For some people, the goal properly should be to learn the value of one's work and to move towards viewing it as a calling.

The book also teaches that work and money-making are not the sole source of happiness and urges the reader to develop other interests, particularly a sense of connectedness to others through family or through interests and activities outside the workplace.

Many of the criticisms of this book and its predecessor that I have seen turn on the respective roles of the Dalai Lama and Dr. Cutler. Dr. Cutler serves, I think, as a foil to the Dalai Lama. In the book, the voices of the two principal are distinct, allowing the reader to capture a good deal of the spirit of the Dalai Lama.

There is also a tendency to criticize the book for its simplicity. I agree the teachings of the book are simple, but in practice they are difficult of realization. A virtue of the book is its very accessiblity which makes it possible for the reader to try to use it for benefit in his or her own case.

Finally, it should be pointed out again that this book does not purport to be an introduction to Buddhism. It is a work of secular (or applied) ethics. There are ample books available, including many works of the Dalai Lama, for those who would like a specifically Buddhist study. One can learn from this book regardless of commitment or lack of commitment to any religion.

I thought this book helped me with questions that have bothered me for years. I also found that the book would probably be useful to many of my coworkers and, perhaps, useful as well, to management where I work.

This book will not solve any person's workplace issues, but it will encourage the reader to reconsider and to sharpen his or her focus to address these issues.

Rating:
Summary: The Dalai Lama and the Workplace
Review: In 1998, H.H. the Dalai Lama joined Dr. Howard C. Cutler, an American psychiatrist, in writing a book "The Art of Happiness" which became a best-seller. This book taught the importance of "looking within" and of controlling destructive emotions in living a good life and finding happiness.

Dr. Cutler and the Dalai Lama have again collaborated in this follow-up book which applies the insights of the initial volume to life situations which are, typically, the sources of great conflict. Several additional books, in addition to this book exploring the world of work, are underway. The book is based upon a series of conversations held between the Dalai Lama and Dr. Cutler over the course of several years. Dr. Cutler is responsible for the format and editing of the book. The final product was read and approved by the Dalai Lama's interpreter.

Early in the volume, the Dalai Lama reminds Dr. Cutler that the focus of the inquiry is "secular ethics" (p.7) One of the most valuable features of the book is that it shows how the Dalai Lama can use his spiritual tradition to articulate values that can be shared by many people, whether or not they are religious believers. Another feature of the book is the significance of the subject matter. Many people trust and listen to the Dalai Lama where they will be reluctant to accept possibly similar advice from experts, such as psychiatrists, or from teachers in Western religous traditions. The book is deceptively simple in tone and teaching, but hard to realize.

In a series of discussions Dr. Cutler explores with the Dalai Lama the reasons why many people tend to be bored or dissatisfied with their jobs. Dr. Cutler brings to bear many anecdotes from his work as a psychiatrist as well has his familiarity with much contemporary literature on job satisfaction. The Dalai Lama brings to bear his wisdom and insight. Time and again during the conversations, the Dalai Lama takes issue with Dr. Cutler, forcing him to redirect and rephrase his questions and assumptions, and to change the tenor of his approach to questions of happiness in the workplace. The Dalai Lama's approach is marked by its circumspectness. He reiterates that the situation of every individual differs and that questions about work admit of no easy solution. In other words,it is not a case of "one size fits all."

With that said the issues and insights are valuable. Chief among these for me are the Dalai Lama's comments on self-understanding. Much difficulty at work is caused by having an overly inflated or an overly deflated view of ourselves and our abilities. This causes discontent because it gives a picture of our abilities and our expectations of ourselves that are out of touch with reality.

Similarly, the Dalai's teachings in this book about patience, humility, self-control, and compassion for one's co-workers provide a great deal to think about in approaching the workplace. The Dalai Lama, in common with others who have thought about these matters, distinguishes between views of work as a "job", simply to support oneself, a "career", with the goal of advancement and growth, and a "calling" in which a person does what he or she finds important to be of service to others. People necessarily occupy different spaces on this continuum. For some people, the goal properly should be to learn the value of one's work and to move towards viewing it as a calling.

The book also teaches that work and money-making are not the sole source of happiness and urges the reader to develop other interests, particularly a sense of connectedness to others through family or through interests and activities outside the workplace.

Many of the criticisms of this book and its predecessor that I have seen turn on the respective roles of the Dalai Lama and Dr. Cutler. Dr. Cutler serves, I think, as a foil to the Dalai Lama. In the book, the voices of the two principal are distinct, allowing the reader to capture a good deal of the spirit of the Dalai Lama.

There is also a tendency to criticize the book for its simplicity. I agree the teachings of the book are simple, but in practice they are difficult of realization. A virtue of the book is its very accessiblity which makes it possible for the reader to try to use it for benefit in his or her own case.

Finally, it should be pointed out again that this book does not purport to be an introduction to Buddhism. It is a work of secular (or applied) ethics. There are ample books available, including many works of the Dalai Lama, for those who would like a specifically Buddhist study. One can learn from this book regardless of commitment or lack of commitment to any religion.

I thought this book helped me with questions that have bothered me for years. I also found that the book would probably be useful to many of my coworkers and, perhaps, useful as well, to management where I work.

This book will not solve any person's workplace issues, but it will encourage the reader to reconsider and to sharpen his or her focus to address these issues.

Rating:
Summary: Not Much Practical Advice
Review: In the end, this book has very little practical advice for us regular folks. What you have here is two squeaky clean academics living in ivory towers and speculating what it might be like to get dirty.

Howard Cutler, a psychiatrist, and the Dalai Lama, a philosopher and religious leader, trade speculations about what they might do if they ever suffered the misfortune of having a real job. It is clear from the conversation that neither has been through the experience and that neither is in any danger of rectifying that situation.

Early on in the book, Dr. Cutler asks the Dalai Lama what he does for work. The Dalai Lama thinks about it and responds, "Nothing". It is the last honest answer in the book. From there, the speculation becomes ludicrous and loses touch with reality. The final answer to every question posed about work is "It depends", which is a bit of information that the rest of us have figured out long ago and which provides no useful direction.

I am sure that Dr. Cutler is a brilliant and accomplished man, and the reputation of the Dalai Lama is well established. In no way am I attacking their qualifications and knowledge in their respective fields. However, they should stick to their proper fields of expertise and not pretend to give practical advice concerning areas where they have no experience.

Rating:
Summary: People who do and people who write about doing
Review: OK, let me see. A book about finding happiness in a working life from the man claimed to be a re-incarnation of the buddha, a former, non-democratically elected ruler of a devoping nation. Who incidentally, has never worked at any job in his life and will probably never have to.

Read a few pages before buying. The interviewer has to describe to His Holiness terribly arcane facts about working in an office--for example, that sometimes one's colleagues engage in political back-stabbing to gain advantages in pay, position, etc. His Holiness' response: that that must make things very unpleasant. He then proceeds to describe in the most general terms how he would deal with such a situation using precepts of buddhism.

If this guy had spent even ONE YEAR in an office and mainainted his buddha-like response to the world, it MIGHT be worth reading this book. But, as it is, all of his assertions remain untested under the fire of everyday life. How many idiotic, greedy self-serving bosses has this man had to curry favor with in order to fill his belly? He has no EXPERIENCE in any of this. We wouldn't buy a book about auto repair from him, so why one about working at a job in an industrial culture?

To His Holiness, I'd have to say, GET A LIFE. Then come back to us and tell us how it's so easily done.




Rating:
Summary: Our work cannot destroy us
Review: Sometimes work seems hard, our workmates are a pest; we just want to leave. This book gives some practical advice on how to cope. Patience and understanding are the clues. People are more often misguided rather than callous. Understanding that no one has any power over you helps. Patience is a powerful weapon. It takes a time to develop though since it comes with maturity.
Even if the workplace is really bad, with people really are out to get each other, this book does help by showing that it is not your fault only.

Rating:
Summary: the keys to finding satisfaction at work
Review: Thankfully this is a slim book, for I could barely put it down. Don't confuse its brevity for a lack of content. This is a deep and rewarding read.

When posed a simple question, "what is your work?" the Dalai Lama is at first perplexed. In a series of illuminating conversations over the course of a week, a mirror image of Western and Eastern views of work and life unfolds. The answer is simple but I won't reveal it here because the journey is the heart of the story.

The Dalai Lama offers sage advice for all, from the janitor to the senior politician and the general. The simple message that is revealed is that through self-awareness and a better perspective on the situation or environment of your work, you too can find satisfaction on the job.

Rating:
Summary: A ROSE BY ANY OTHER NAME...
Review: THE ART OF HAPPINESS AT WORK by The Dalai Lama and Howard C. Cutler falls considerably short of THE ART OF HAPPINESS, the original work by the same authors. In the original book The Dalai Lama provides very interesting views that can be applied to a variety scenarios in life, including the workplace.

Hence, ...HAPPINESS AT WORK is very repetitive of the original and runs the risk of placing someone as illustrious as The Dalai Lama in the position of appearing too much like other marketing-driven authors of the genre who pump out repeats of their original works under other titles like ...FOR THE WORKING SOUL, ...FOR THE GOLFING SOUL, OF HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL FAMILIES, ...OF HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL TEENAGERS, etc.

After all, if you read the first book by The Dalai Lama you can easily see how his philosophies concerning happiness apply to all walks of life. Stick with THE ART OF HAPPINESS and discover for yourself how it may apply to a variety of your questions regarding your personal happiness...including in the workplace.

Douglas McAllister

Rating:
Summary: A remarkable, powerful and life-changing book!
Review: The Dalai Lama is an incredibly active and hard-working individual, and despite the fact that he has never held a conventional 9-5 job, he nevertheless has tremendous understanding and insight into the underlying psychological processes that are the source of much of our dissatisfaction at work. Besides offering guidelines on how to transform one's mental and emotional responses to become happier at work, the Dalai Lama also offers readers an effective, practical and commonsense approach to dealing with the difficult conditions and problems that all of us are bound to run into at the workplace. As in The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living, the first book by the Dalai Lama and Howard Cutler, M.D., Dr. Cutler does a truly outstanding job in helping frame the Dalai Lama's ideas within a contemporary Western context. One advantage to the format, is that Dr. Cutler draws upon the latest scientific findings in support of the Dalai Lama's views, adds personal observations about the Dalai Lama and includes other poignant or entertaining stories that illustrate how to apply the principles - - showing the reader how to apply the Dalai Lama's ideas to become happier in one's daily life, at work or at home. There has been a lot of research showing that happy workers are more productive and more successful. I plan on giving a copy of this book as a gift, during the holiday season, to my employees, hoping that they too will find some effective strategies to become happier in their own lives. I am grateful that the Dalai Lama and Dr. Cutler have teamed up again. The topic of work, which takes up so much of our lives, is clearly something they needed to address to offer a comprehensive discussion of human happiness.