Customer Reviews

The Art of Happiness at Work

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

Are you struggling to climb the corporate ladder? Have a seemingly dead-end job? Or are you in a position to manage and influence others in the workplace? Then pick up this insightful look into an ever-changing workforce and how you can find happiness in it. For anyone who is interested in self improvement, putting a new perspective on life, or interested in understanding how to derive enjoyment from their work I highly recommend this book. I'm tired of self-help books that tell the reader what to think not allowing him to formulate his own opinion. The author has candid discussions with the Dalai Lama and offers insightful statistics and facts. In summary one of those books you read and then walk away with something

I give this book 3 stars primarily because it could have been "tighter" as a result of more rigorous editing. However, there are good ideas here and they can be engaged immediately.

As the title states, this book is about happiness at work. What are its attributes, what conditions are most important to assure happiness most of the time, how it impacts performance and the other dimensions of life. All, important topics. The book is written in the form of a long conversation between Howard Cutler and The Dalai Lama.

There are a whole host of interesting ideas. For example, the Dalai Lama comenting "By engaging opposition, a deeper understanding of one's own standpoint emerges." Putting a premium on debate to sharpen one's mind and to foster growth and improvement.

But the most powerful elements of this book are the realization that it's wisdom is quite simple in the end. It's simplicity, however, is complex and difficult to execute each and every day. We need a balanced life. A life that recognizes the interdependence between all aspects of our lives (work, family, hobby, meditation time etc.) We must "reduce the gap between who we are and what we do". The things on which we spend time must have meaning and ideally have some connection with creating a "greater good" and service to others.

Most of all, however, a common theme emerges that suggests that the most important aspect of happiness at work (and for that matter in anything) is one's own "attitude" and outlook. How an individual sees the world is the critical aspect in shaping attitude and therefore "happiness". The elements of a positive attitude seem to include a realistic grasp of one's self (self understanding), a desire to serve others, to creatively achieve and contribute, to have confidence in one's own judgment, "right livelihood" ("best to choose work that does not cause harm to others, that does not exploit or deceive others....").

The key is to recognize the fusion between one's self and one's work. They are not separate ideas but one. Moreover, as it relates to happiness, "the primary determinant of one's happiness is the state of one's mind." Attitute, attitude, attitude.

A meaningful contribution even though it could have been shorter and tighter.

Howard Cutler's first book with the Dalai Lama, "The Art Of Happiness," was packed with wonderful and accessible teachings from the Dalai Lama. We owe Mr. Cutler much thanks for the work he put into his efforts on his first book when it was not sure thing anyone would either publish or read his collection of interviews with the Dalai Lama.

This new book falls short however. The Dalai Lama doesn't have much of interest to say about the subject in general. Mr. Cutler, in what seems like an ego play, inserts himself into the book at every available opportunity, unlike his first book where he was much more a reporter. The conversations are endlessly boring and sophomoric.

What we do gain is an appreciation of how brilliant a thinker the Dalai Lama is even when he is being hassled by nit picking questions from someone who seems to think there is a sure thing going on. I do hope Mr. Culter gets back on track, becomes a reporter instead of subject, and focuses on topics that are more compatible with the Dalai Lama's keen intelligence.

Or perhaps the interviews have played themselves out and it is time to stop and appreciate the contributions made in the first book.

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

I read the first Art of Happiness book, actually I listened to it while In the hospital recovering from spinal cord surgery, and I found it a truly life changing experience. The teachings in that book have stayed with me ever since (2000) and I still try to incorporate them into my daily life. Now comes a topic that effects almost every single adult not only in the United States but the world. How many of us hate our jobs? I mean hate in every sense of the word? So much so that just the thought of Sunday night knowing that you have to go to "that place" literally makes you sick? We've probably all been there at one time or another, some still there right now. Now how many of us like our jobs? I don't mean tolerate our jobs, I mean enjoy going to and look forward to going to work? Probably a small number. Lately I've been struggling with the "what do I really want to do with my life" question as well as the "I have to do something more meanigful and enjoyable than this." Face it, we spend more time with our co-workers then we do with our own children and family. This is a very, very sad statement. Anywhere between 8-11 hours per day are work related, not counting the tarvel time to and from the office which could add an additional 1-3 hours to the total depending on where one lives and the commute. Shouldn't we truly enjoy what we do during this time? Why do most of us hate our jobs, hate our career choices and hate our career direction? I guess alot has to do with the choices we made when we were too young and inexperienced to make a choice that would become so important in our lives. Face facts, most of decide on a career direction by the time we're 17-18-19 years old. I knew nothing at this age although I thought I did. And here we are, making life altering decisions, mostly on our own? How ridciculous. No wonder we're all messed up by the time we hit 40 or 50 years old. It is not burn out, which I assume contributes greatly to the condition, but a realization that there is more to this precious life then work, making money for someone else and having nothing to show for it except a nice house a fat mortgage. To those who actually read this book I hope to hear from you. I am very curious to see if this book is as fulfilling a one as the first one was for me. To see if there truly are answers to these questions and can we do more than just earn a paycheck for someone else, someone who can use us and fire us at the drop of a hat. I look forward to reading your comments. Sincerely, muzikman3161@yahoo.com

I read lot's of books on business, improving your performance on your job, and the like. I found this book to be void of any meaningful content, to the point of lameness. While I sincerely respect the Dalai Lama and his philosophies, this book comes across as a make work assignment dreamt up by Howard Cutler because he ran out of things to do for a while. Don't bother with this one - there are many other books out there that will help you to improve your outlook and performance on your job and career.

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.

Although I agree with some reviewer's who feel that this book is mostly about Howard Cutler's efforts to draw out the Dalai Lama, I also feel that the Dalai Lama is a full party to this effort, is no fool, and understands that lending his name to this book could be helpful in reaching many many more people than would every give a hoot about anything Howard Cutler, MD, might have to say. On that basis, I give the book a solid four stars.

Although Peter Drucker and I have both written about "work as a calling" and the importance of finding joy in what you do, and that could serve as a one-sentence summary of the book, there is more to this book than that. Taken with patience, and used as a mind-calming exercise to slowly read a chapter or two and then apply it to one's own (presumably uncalm) work environment, the book could serve as a touchstone for "backing off" and reflecting.

There are a number of books on Zen Buddhism, and my very own all time favorite, not by a Zen Buddhist, on Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance, and they all seem to boil down to fulfillment within the circumstances, making the most of what you have, treating everyone as an equal, and being glad you are not in a Turkish jail on drug charges--life could be worse.

I bought the book, the Dalai Lama lent his name to it, it can't be any worse for you that a diet drink loaded with Nutra-Sweet.

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.

The first review I read the reviewer had said everything about this book in one sentence "A shameful exploitation of an important religious figure." Dr. Howard C. Cutler is perhaps a very intelligent individual with real purpose and sincerity with his thoughts and ambitions but I feel as though these thoughts and ambitious do not belong in a book such as this.