Russell Kolts

Russell Kolts, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist and professor at Eastern Washington University outside of Spokane, Washington. He is the author of The Compassionate Mind: Guide to Managing Your Anger.

Thubten Chodron

Ordained as a Tibetan Buddhist nun in 1977, Venerable Thubten Chodron is an author, teacher, and the founder and abbess of Sravasti Abbey. Sravasti Abbey is the only Tibetan Buddhist training monastery for Westerners in the US and holds gender equality, social engagement, and care for the environment amongst its core values. Ven. Chodron teaches worldwide and is known for her practical (and humorous!) explanations of how to apply Buddhist teachings in daily life. She is also actively involved in prison outreach and interfaith dialogue. She has published many books on Buddhist philosophy and meditation, and has coauthored a book—Buddhism: One Teacher, Many Traditions—with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, with whom she has studied for nearly forty years.

"This book is a gift. It will quietly lift you up, touching our deepest desire that all beings, including ourselves, be happy and free from suffering. With beautifully clear language and examples, the authors show how to make compassion an easy and central part of our lives. Allow this book to work on you, reading it slowly and gently practicing what you learn. It will heal your heart." —Christopher Germer, PhD, author of The Mindful Path to Self-Compassion and clinical instructor at Harvard Medical School

"The human and planetary situation today cries out for sturdy, clear-eyed compassion that motivates actions of real benefit to others and ourselves. Toward that end, An Open-Hearted Life offers a powerful synergy of wisdom and practical instruction drawn from Russell Kolts's deep experience with Compassion-Focused Therapy and from Ven. Thubten Chodron's lifetime committed to Tibetan Buddhist practice." —Sharon Salzberg, author of Real Happiness and Lovingkindness

"This important and highly accessible book on compassion is a powerful and comprehensive contribution to what it means to have a heart that is kind and that can meet the world with strength and wisdom." —Roshi Joan Halifax, author of Being with Dying

"A collection of reflections on the practice of compassion in everyday life that provides a recipe for a deeper life and a better world. It is written with minds and hearts wide open." —Daniel Gilbert, PhD, author of Stumbling on Happiness and professor of psychology at Harvard University