Destructive Emotions: How Can We Overcome Them? A Scientific Dialogue with the Dalai Lama.

Daniel Goleman. 2003. Read by the author. 13 cds. 13 hrs. Books on Tape. 0-7366-9232-0. $96.00. Vinyl; content notes. SA

In March 2000. a group of psychologists, neuroscientists, and philosophers met with the Dalai Lama in his private quarters in Dharamsala, India for five days. The event was the eighth round in an ongoing series to explore questions of destructive emotions such as hatred, anger, and fear. They learned, through a battery of tests on individuals (among them a Tibetan Buddhist monk), that meditation had a direct impact on how these emotions were handled. In fact, they discovered that the very thought/act of compassion generates a greater sense of well being within oneself, and enables one to overcome negative feelings much more easily. Yet, more than the narrative of each day's discussion. what emerges is the revelation of the brilliant, inquisitive, organized mind of the Dalai Lama.

Author and narrator Goleman gives us a glimpse into the Dalai Lama's upbringing, education, and training. The resulting combination is a pleasingly deep voice that provides a fascinating intellectual experience by offering insights into the human psyche, and skillfully planting the seeds of introspection. Sunnie Grant, Bus. Mgr., Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, Ipswich, MA