ベストセラー作家でもある法王からのメッセージをどうぞ　　（2006-06-29）
99年発売当時北米でベストセラーとなった書。UCLAの書店で見かけ直ぐ購入。法王の書は仏教に関するものが多く、仏教への知識や興味がないと読み込み難いのだが、これは庶民に向けた書と言える。生きていく上での苦悩や煩悩を如何に乗り越えていくか、幸せを如何に掴むか、といったことを様々な事例を取り上げ、述べている。精神科医のカトラー氏が一般人が考え得る疑問を投げかけながらの問答もあり、非常に読み易く、分かり易い。ただ、所謂“幸せの術”は、万人が持って生まれたものでありながら、一定の訓練や修練を経なければ、決して自分のものにはならない事実も付言している。日々煩悩に付き纏われ、ストレスが渦を巻く社会に身を置いていると、読みたくなる作品です。読めば少しは楽になる作品でもあります。

Interesting collaboration on compassion　　（2001-09-02）
This book is a collaboration of Dr. Cutler and the Dalai Lama. Most of the book is Dr. Cutler's opinion and words, and unfortunately not much is left for the Dalai Lama.

Compassion is highly stressed in this book (especially the first half) and although I agree with what is said about compassion, the book gets quite exhausting by conveying the idea over and over. I feel more insight can be gained from books such as "Open Your Mind, Open Your Life: A Little Book of Eastern Wisdom" by Taro Gold which is also full of Buddhist wisdom and thoughts on the art of happiness.

Dissapointing　　（2001-08-29）
I was dissapointed in this book. There is not much more here than common sense, and most of the material has been published many times over by other writers and also by the Dalai Lama himself. Most of the book is not the words of the Dalai Lama but of the Dr. Cutler. I actually found more insights and inspirational concepts in "Open Your Mind, Open Your Life: A Little Book of Eastern Wisdom" by Taro Gold.

A treatise on happiness　　（2001-08-02）
Always one to be skeptical of these kinds of collaborative book efforts, I think it's important to point out that 'The Art of Happiness' was written not by the Dalai Lama, but by Howard C. Cutler, a psychiatrist.

Dr. Cutler weaves together exerpts from several conversations with the Dalai Lama spanning many years, and from public talks given throughout Arizona in 1993. The result is a treatise on a topic of widespread importance: happiness (or the lack thereof).