Into the Magic Shop

James Doty grew up in California, deeply poor, with an alcoholic father and an invalid mother who tried to commit suicide. His life was a dead end until the summer he was 12, when he stumbled into the Cactus Rabbit Magic Shop looking for a plastic thumb. Inside he encountered Ruth, who gave him a series of practices designed to ease his suffering and manifest his desires. Her final mandate was that he make sure to keep his heart open and to teach these techniques to others.

Jim would go on to put Ruth's practices to work and experience extraordinary results - power, wealth, and expensive habits. But he neglects to mind Ruth's instruction to keep his heart open with disastrous results - until he has the opportunity to make a spectacular charitable contribution that will virtually ruin him.

Part memoir, part science, part inspiration, and part practical instruction, Into the Magic Shop shows us the extraordinary things that happen when we harness the power of both the brain and the heart.

Dr James Doty is a Clinical Professor in the Department of Neurosurgery at Stanford University, and the Director of the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education, which he cofounded with the Dalai Lama. As the Director of CCARE, he has spearheaded many research projects on compassion and altruism, and their relationship to the brain. He is also an inventor and philanthropist, sitting on the board of a number of charities, including Friends of New Orleans (FONO) and the Dalai Lama Foundation of which he is Chairman.

'This book tells the remarkable story of a neurosurgeon's quest to unravel the mystery of the link between our brains and our hearts. From the moment in his childhood when a simple act of kindness changed the course of his own life to his founding a center to study compassion at Stanford University. Jim Doty's life illustrates how each of us can make a difference. We can make the world a more compassionate place. I'm sure many readers will be moved by this inspiring story to open their hearts and see what they too can do for others' His Holiness the Dalai Lama ' Into the Magic Shop offers a gripping, well-told journey into the mysteries of the human mind and brain. Neurosurgeon James Doty has written a heartwarming tale of courage and compassion' Daniel Goleman author of Emotional Intelligence 'In this profound and beautiful book, Dr Doty teaches us with his life, and the lessons he imparts are some of the most important of all: that happiness cannot be without suffering, that compassion is born from understanding our own suffering and the suffering of those around us, and that only when we have compassion in our hearts can we be truly happy' Thich Nhat Hanh Zen Master, global spiritual leader, poet and peace activist ' Into the Magic Shop is not only a moving testimony that keeps the reader enthralled throughout the book, but also a powerful exhortation to live a more compassionate and meaningful life. Beautiful and highly inspiring' Matthieu Ricard Humanitarian and Buddhist monk, author of Altruism: how compassion can change your life and the world 'Once in a generation, someone is able to articulate the compelling mystery within his or her life story in such a way that it captures the imagination of others and inspires them to align with what is deepest and best in themselves and allow it to manifest and flower. There is plenty of magic in this book, but the deepest magic of all is that Jim was openheartedly guided to start practising that aligning when he was twelve and trusted it enough to never lose the thread completely, even in the hardest of times. Behold what is emerging now' Jon Kabat-Zinn Founder of the Center for Mindfulness, Health Care and Society and of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)

James Doty grew up in California, deeply poor, with an alcoholic father and an invalid mother who tried to commit suicide. His life was a dead end until the summer he was 12, when he stumbled into the Cactus Rabbit Magic Shop looking for a plastic thumb. Inside he encountered Ruth, who gave him a series of practices designed to ease his suffering and manifest his desires. Her final mandate was that he make sure to keep his heart open and to teach these techniques to others.Jim would go on to put Ruth's practices to work and experience extraordinary results - power, wealth, and expensive habits. But he neglects to mind Ruth's instruction to keep his heart open with disastrous results - until he has the opportunity to make a spectacular charitable contribution that will virtually ruin him.Part memoir, part science, part inspiration, and part practical instruction, Into the Magic Shop shows us the extraordinary things that happen when we harness the power of both the brain and the heart.

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