Many of us, even on our happiest days, struggle to quiet the constant buzz of anxiety in the background of our minds. All kinds of worries--worries about losing people and things, worries about how we seem to others--keep us from peace of mind. Distracted or misled by our preoccupations, misconceptions, and, most of all, our obsession with ourselves, we don't see the world clearly--we don't see the world as it really is.

In our search for happiness and the good life, this is the main problem. But luckily there is a solution, and on the path to understanding it, we can make use of the rich and varied teachings that have developed over centuries of Buddhist thought.

With clarity and compassion, Nicolas Bommarito explores the central elements of centuries of Buddhist philosophy and practice, explaining how they can improve your life and teach you to live without fear. Mining important texts and lessons for practical guidance, he provides a friendly guide to the very practical goals that underpin Buddhist philosophy. After laying out the basic ideas, Bommarito walks readers through a wide range of techniques and practices we can adopt to mend ingrained habits.

Rare for its exploration of both the philosophy that motivates Buddhism and its practical applications, this is a compassionate guide to leading a good life that anyone can follow.

Seeing Clearly: A Buddhist Guide to Life (Guides to the Good Life Series), Nicolas Bommarito, Oxford University Press, Hardcover, 320 pages, $19.95

Nicolas Bommarito is assistant professor in the philosophy department at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver. He received his PhD in philosophy from Brown University and holds a language certification from Tibet University in Lhasa. He is the author of Inner Virtue and draws comics in his spare time, which you can enjoy on his website, www.nicbommarito.com.