The Book of Joy
Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu, Douglas Abrams · 2016 · 8 ideas · 8 min
Lasting joy isn't the absence of suffering but a skill built through compassion, humor, and perspective — even, and especially, amid hardship and loss.
Why this book
Built from a week of conversation between two Nobel laureates who each endured exile, persecution, or systemic injustice, the book argues that joy is not a reaction to good circumstances but a trainable disposition — one built through specific practices like compassion for others, humility about the self, and a habit of finding humor even in dark situations. Both men insist that suffering is universal and doesn't disqualify anyone from joy; if anything, it's the raw material joy is made from.
The book matters because it comes from uniquely credible sources — a Tibetan Buddhist monk who lost his homeland and an anti-apartheid archbishop who faced down a violent regime — arguing from lived experience rather than theory that inner freedom doesn't depend on external conditions going well.
Who should read it
Anyone facing hardship who assumes joy is only available once circumstances improve will find a persuasive counterargument here. It's especially rewarding for readers drawn to spiritual or psychological approaches to resilience, grief, and forgiveness.
About the author
The 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, is the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism and a Nobel Peace Prize laureate; Archbishop Desmond Tutu was a South African Anglican cleric and Nobel Peace Prize laureate known for his role in ending apartheid. Douglas Abrams, an American writer, conducted and structured their week-long dialogue into this book.