The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World

How do you find joy in the face of life's inevitable suffering? The Book of Joy captures an extraordinary week-long conversation between two spiritual giants—His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu—as they explore this timeless question together. In April 2015, Archbishop Tutu traveled to Dharamsala, India, to celebrate the Dalai Lama's 80th birthday, and what emerged was a profound dialogue on joy, suffering, and what makes life worth living. Despite enduring more than fifty years of exile, oppression, and soul-crushing violence, these two Nobel Peace Prize laureates are among the most joyful people on the planet. Their secret? Joy isn't found by avoiding suffering but by meeting it with courage, compassion, and an open heart.

Over five days filled with laughter, tears, intimate stories, and playful teasing, these two friends stared into the abyss of human suffering and revealed how to cultivate lasting happiness. They explore the Nature of True Joy—distinguishing fleeting pleasure from deep, abiding contentment. They confront the Obstacles to Joy: fear, stress, anger, grief, illness, and death, showing how each can become a doorway to deeper wisdom. Then they offer the Eight Pillars of Joy—perspective, humility, humor, acceptance, forgiveness, gratitude, compassion, and generosity—practical foundations for building a life of meaning and resilience. Throughout, they weave together personal stories, ancient wisdom from Buddhist and Christian traditions, and insights from contemporary science on happiness and well-being.

For readers building a contemplative practice, this book offers more than inspiration—it provides daily Joy Practices that anchor emotional and spiritual life. The Dalai Lama and Archbishop Tutu don't claim perfection; they share the struggles of real lives filled with pain and turmoil, showing how joy is possible not despite suffering but because we've learned to meet it with wisdom and compassion. This is a book for anyone navigating loss, uncertainty, or the challenges of being human in a chaotic world. It's an invitation to discover that joy isn't something you find when life gets easier—it's something you cultivate through practice, perspective, and connection to what truly matters.

What You'll Discover
Week-long dialogue between the Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu on joy and suffering
The Nature of True Joy and the Obstacles that block it
Eight Pillars of Joy: perspective, humility, humor, acceptance, forgiveness, gratitude, compassion, generosity
Daily Joy Practices for anchoring emotional and spiritual life
Interfaith wisdom blending Buddhist and Christian contemplative traditions
Science-backed insights on happiness, resilience, and well-being

His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama (b. 1935) is the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism and the Tibetan people. Recognized at age two as the reincarnation of his predecessor, he has lived in exile in Dharamsala, India, since 1959. Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989, he is a passionate advocate for compassion, interfaith understanding, and secular ethics. Archbishop Desmond Tutu (1931-2021) was a South African Anglican bishop and theologian who became a prominent leader in the crusade for justice and racial reconciliation. Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984, he chaired South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission and pioneered new ways for countries to heal after conflict. Both men dedicated their lives to teaching love, compassion, and the possibility of joy amid suffering.

Perfect for: Readers seeking joy and resilience amid life's challenges, those building contemplative practices grounded in daily life, spiritual seekers exploring interfaith wisdom, anyone navigating grief, loss, or uncertainty, readers drawn to practical wisdom from spiritual masters, students of Buddhism and Christianity, those interested in the science of happiness and well-being, admirers of the Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu, seekers looking for books that transform suffering into wisdom.

Hardcover edition. An instant New York Times bestseller—offering profound interfaith dialogue on finding lasting joy through the Eight Pillars and daily practices that anchor a life of meaning, compassion, and resilience.