Margins
Altruism book cover
Altruism
The Power of Compassion to Change Yourself and the World
2013
First Published
4.24
Average Rating
864
Number of Pages

The author of the international bestseller Happiness makes a passionate case for altruism—and why we need it now more than ever. In Happiness, Matthieu Ricard demonstrated that true happiness is not tied to fleeting moments or sensations, but is an enduring state of soul rooted in mindfulness and compassion for others. Now he turns his lens from the personal to the global, with a rousing argument that altruism—genuine concern for the well-being of others—could be the saving grace of the 21st century. It is, he believes, the vital thread that can answer the main challenges of our the economy in the short term, life satisfaction in the mid-term, and environment in the long term. Ricard's message has been taken up by major economists and thinkers, including Dennis Snower, Amartya Sen, Joseph Stiglitz, and George Soros. Matthieu Ricard makes a robust and passionate case for cultivating altruistic love and compassion as the best means for simultaneously benefitting ourselves and our society. It's a fresh outlook on an ardent struggle—and one that just might make the world a better place.

Avg Rating
4.24
Number of Ratings
967
5 STARS
49%
4 STARS
31%
3 STARS
15%
2 STARS
3%
1 STARS
1%
goodreads

Author

Matthieu Ricard
Matthieu Ricard
Author · 23 books
Matthieu Ricard, a Buddhist monk, trained as a molecular biologist before moving to Nepal to study Buddhism. He is the author of The Monk and the Philosopher (with his father, Jean-François Revel); The Quantum and the Lotus (with Trinh Thuan); Happiness; The Art of Meditation; Altruism: The Power of Compassion; A Plea for the Animals; and Beyond the Self: Conversations between Buddhism and Neuroscience (with Wolf Singer). He has published several books of photography, including Motionless Journey and Tibet: An Inner Journey, and is the French interpreter for the Dalai Lama.
548 Market St PMB 65688, San Francisco California 94104-5401 USA
© 2025 Paratext Inc. All rights reserved