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 twenty-first century. It is, he believes, the vital thread that can answer the main challenges of our time: 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.

Altruism: The Power of Compassion to Change Yourself and the World, Matthieu Ricard, Hachette Audio and Blackstone Audio, 2015, 24 CDs, 30 hours, $50.00

- 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.