A molecular biologist turned Buddhist monk demonstrates how to develop the inner conditions for true happiness.

Never has happiness as an emotional and physical state of being been so widely discussed. Matthieu Ricard is one of the most compelling voices on the subject, and one of the few who can bring together the teachings of eastern and western thought. In this accessible new work, Ricard provides a straightforward assessment of how to create true and lasting happiness. He addresses the pursuit of a meaningful life at its most fundamental level – the strengthening of the inner conditions that lead to genuine happiness. Ricard helps readers form new patterns of interaction with themselves and with the larger world, working toward happiness step by step, starting with 20 minutes of daily mind training and meditation.

Happiness: A Guide to Developing Life's Most Important Skill, Matthieu Ricard, Little Brown and Company, Paperback, 2006, 288 Pages, $14.99

• Ricard has been featured in Time, Self, O Magazine, The New Yorker, The Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, and the New York Times Magazine.

• Ricard has served as interpreter for the Dalai Lama and also works with many influential thinkers within the scientific community, including Brian Greene and Daniel Goleman.

• With his father, Jean Francois Revel, Ricard co-authored the French bestseller The Monk and the Philosopher, which was translated into 21 languages. He also co-authored the 2001 book The Quantum and the Lotus with astrophysicist Trinh Xuan Thuan.