In Happiness, Matthieu Ricard—a French-born Buddhist monk who left a career in cellular genetics to study Buddhism in the Himalayas over 45 years ago—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. His TED talk on the subject has been viewed nearly 5 million times.

Now, in Altruism: The Power of Compassion to Change Yourself and the World, he turns his lens from the personal to the global, with the argument that altruism—genuine concern for the well-being of others—could be the saving grace of the 21st century.

Altruism, he believes, is 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 the environment in the long term. Ricard’s message has been taken up by economists and thinkers, including Dennis Snower, Amartya Sen, Joseph Stiglitz, and George Soros.

Ricard makes a robust and passionate case for cultivating altruistic love and compassion as the best means for simultaneously benefitting ourselves and our society.