This book is not a comprehensive examination of Buddhism, but rather an examination of one type of modern, non-secular Buddhism. Wright embraces theories based on natural selection, but he doesn't provide much in the way of evidence.to support the theories., I found the most interesting and helpful part of the book was his explanation of using meditation as a way of trying to reduce the impact of negative/non-helpful thoughts, of quieting "the monkey mind.".

It’s a wonderful book and wonderful tilte. Lead reader to break our convention way of thinking, and to contemplate more about the reality of the our view.

A decent introduction to Buddhism and does a decent job convey its merits. But, those interested in the actual practice of Buddhism would be keen to look elsewhere.

Even if you already have a religion or worldview, this book helps you see why Buddhism can enhance what you already believe. The author Robert Wright states from the beginning that he’s not writing about the “supernatural” parts of Buddhism (like reincarnation), but is rather addressing the “naturalistic” parts (like psychology and philosophy). He even says he’s not a Buddhist, but he finds value in many of their principles.

Wright’s writing style is authentic. For instance, he says the following about meditation, a practice often associated with Buddhism (but which, he points out, isn’t practiced by most Asian Buddhists):

“As any good meditation teacher will tell you, if you talk about meditation in terms of success or failure, you’re misunderstanding what meditation is. Here I must depart from orthodoxy. I wouldn’t advocate meditation if I didn’t think there was something people could achieve by it.”

Wright provides encouragement for those among us struggling with our own practices of meditation. In answer to the oft-repeated question, “Will meditation make me happier?” he gives this honest answer:

“Well in my case—and, as you will recall, I’m a particularly hard case—the answer is yes, it’s made me a little happier.” He further elaborates that his quality of happiness is now improved because of finding a truer view of the world.

The book also gives real-life applications about mindfulness meditation, not just for cushion time, but when you’re struggling to stay in the moment, or when you want to be more attuned to beauty, or when you want to control your anger at the rude driver in front of you.

Good metaphors abound in the book, such as:

“You think you’re directing the movie, but you’re actually just watching it. Or, at the risk of turning this into a metaphor that’s impossible to wrap your mind around, the movie is directing you—unless you manage to liberate yourself from it.”

Granted, the concepts are not always easy to grasp. Sections on emptiness and enlightenment can get deep. But for the most part, the basic Buddhist ideas are fairly easy to grasp.

Overall, while the book is about why Buddhism is true, it’s also about spiritual life in general:

“Anyway, my basic view of religious beliefs is that the ultimate question isn’t their specific content, but rather: What kind of person do the beliefs make you us. How do they lead you to behave?”

This book provides moments of moral truth and wisdom of clarity. But it also provides freedom.

“But I don’t think it happens very often that the truth sets you free, period. Sometimes it’s the other way around: freedom lets you see the truth.”

I definitely find truth in that.

This has been my favorite read this year.

What I loved -
1) The author's writing style - Most books in the genre are so boring that you would rather scrub your room clean than read them. This book wasn't. The author is humorous and has a writing style that keeps you hooked.
2) The evidence - Most of the claims in the book are backed by science. Don't get me wrong, there ARE opinions in this book. Most of them are pretty reasonable and stem from some research.
3) The content - In most of the books I like, there are at least some sections that I wouldn't mind not reading. That's not the case with this book. Every part is amazingly researched and fits perfectly in the larger whole.

I am going to make this one annual reading.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange of honest opinion.

This is a truly remarkable, fantastic book. It is one of those rare volumes that will turn your head inside out and leave you seeing the world differently, not because he (or it) is extreme, but because reality is extreme; he is sewing together science and philosophy and offering readers a breathtaking tapestry for their consideration. Briefly, his argument is that our minds are populated by evolved psychological adaptations that were naturally selected for their adaptive utility, NOT for seeing the world objectively. And especially when it comes to our feelings and emotions, our minds often saddle us with perceptual and conceptual distortions that lead to unnecessary suffering. This state of affairs, as revealed by psychological science, aligns well with Buddhist renderings of the human predicament, and (even more remarkably) psychological science is also showing that the Buddhist prescription of mindfulness meditation can indeed help alleviate much of this suffering. Mindfulness meditation works as a kind of cognitive exercise (a kind of mental resistance training), that over time affords us distance from the tumultuous workings of our mind and allows us to see things more clearly (which often drains anxiety and anger of their motivational power) and helps foster our ability to chart where our mind goes next. Not only does mindful distance get us closer to the Truth (or at least further from delusion), but Wright argues that it can also bring us closer to moral truth, enhancing our capacity for responding in idealistically ethical ways.

And that's just scratching the surface. The deeper details, duly contemplated, will leave readers enchanted (head often spinning, occasionally agitated). Robert Wright has always had a keen ability to integrate disparate ideas in science and philosophy (stepping back to view things in wider perspective than the original scientists whose work he builds upon) and this book is a gem that will not disappoint those who enjoyed his earlier books (e.g. The Moral Animal, Nonzero, The Evolution of God), especially his dry wit, everyday-guy accessibility, pragmatic reasoning, and clear writing.

As a psychology professor who teaches courses in evolutionary psychology, neuroscience, and psychology of religion, I'm in something of a unique position to review the work. Certainly I can say that Wright's command of the subject matter, ranging from evolutionary psychology to abstruse Buddhist philosophy, is excellent. (Experts in those fields will find details to quibble about, of course, but Wright does his homework and--to his credit--modestly concedes that his interpretations are his own best renderings. And they are good renderings.)

I think everyone should read this wonderful and important book. I worry that many will be put off by the title alone. I worry that those conversant with the subtleties of Buddhist thought will not invest the time and effort to grapple with the subtleties of psychological science and evolutionary biology (and vice versa). It IS a book that, I think, requires more of a cognitive commitment from readers than others. But it will reward all who do. Whether readers come away in general agreement with Wright or not, I don't think it is possible to read the book and come away WITHOUT a better understanding of yourself and a better appreciation what it means to be human. That alone makes it an engine of insight.

I was very interested in reading this book after having taken Robert's Coursera course Buddhism and Modern Psychology. His teaching style is "real" and not as a lecturer but someone who truly wants to help you understand. This book delivers on the title in well laid out arguments that tackle very difficult subjects like the not-self, emptiness, essence and of course enlightenment. Robert's own stories and struggles give a real honest view into what is I'm sure everyones struggle in dealing with these Buddhist concepts and he helps to connect them with reality and how to integrate the teachings in real life. I have read many books on this subject but I have found many more ah ha moments reading this book and will be re-reading many of the chapters over and over.