If you are familiar with Sharon Salzberg (perhaps you took her free meditation course through email or listen to her podcast), you will not be surprised at the way this book is organized - self-help plus meditation exercises plus personal stories. It is a gentle overview tying psychology/analysis to mindfulness, all to the end goal of improving relationships. Although much like most Buddhist practice (hmm, I don't believe they ever specifically use the word Buddhist, but that's what it is) the focus is first on the self and getting rid of personal barriers. Lovingkindness meditation, forgiveness meditation - these are practices that start with the self and move outward.

For me, books like this are skimmers. I don't need the testimonial type stories to reinforce the points being made; I'm most likely to look for bullet points and read the practice sections the most carefully. I imagine people of various backgrounds and needs would approach it a number of ways. I have encountered most of what is inside these covers before, but Sharon Salzberg has done some work to pull it all together.

Sharon’ Salzberg’s “Real Love” is an eye, heart, and mind-opening masterpiece that opens us up to the fullness of love and intimacy with life, self, and others. Sharon has the wisdom of a guru, yet a stunning compassion and down-to-earth humility that feels like she is a friend on a similar journey. This book will help you become a passionate lover at your core. God knows we know more love in this world. Thank you, Sharon!

I enjoy books about yoga, mindfulness and meditation. Sharon Salzburg's latest book (publication date June 6, 2017), is beautifully organized around the Buddhist meditation of lovingkindness. She begins with the premise that humans are uniquely social and in order to fully experience life, we must interact and love one another. Her exploration on how to better love with the help of meditation begins with self-love, expands to our close relationships, and so on until we are meditating and living in love toward all of mankind. This is a practical guide that addresses the balance between forgiveness and wishing well our enemies and the need for self-care and letting go of relationships that no longer serve us. For those who read in this subject, some of the material is redundant. However, I enjoy reading different takes on the same material for greater understanding. Salzburg's grounded examples and well constructed narrative is a great addition to the topic. Highly recommended for readers with an interest in self-help; meditation; and yoga.