My 'by the bed' book ( )

This little book is a middle step on the road to the current writings (and speakings) of His Holiness the Dalai Lama (HHDL). The format of the book is small - smaller than a 'pocket book' - yet it is a hardcover and quite thick. So the format lends itself to thinking perhaps its a knick-knacky coffee table book or the like; perhaps a daily reader. The book content is in sections such as: Dealing with Anger and Emotions, Giving and Receiving, Transformation through Insight, etc. The content was derived from teachings HHDL gave in the UK in 1993, 1996, and 1999.

The themes show a middling set in the evolution of HHDL teachings. As HHDL has morphed or evolved in the speeches and writings over the years, this book - since its content takes from a wide set of years - has a mix of those. There are some more recent quotes and snippets mostly on compassion and the fact that everyone deserves to have an end to their suffering. But there is also content about more traditional Buddhist concepts and processes. Overall, I probably would not recommend this book. While it is laid out well for a daily reader and does capture a lot of inspirational and core themes, it does meander and is not as focused as reading something from a single year or set of teachings. ( )