In Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life, the best-selling author and authority on comparative religion offers concrete ways of enhancing our compassion and putting it into action in our everyday lives. One of the most original thinkers on the role of religion in the modern world—author of such acclaimed books as A History of God, Islam, and Buddha—Karen Armstrong believes that while compassion is intrinsic in all human beings, each of us needs to work diligently to cultivate and expand our capacity for compassion. In this book, she sets out a 12-step program that can lead us toward a more compassionate life.