“An undiluted triumph, a book as subtle and moving as any nonfiction produced in recent decades.”—Bill McKibben

The Open Road

The Global Journey of the Fourteenth Dalai Lama

For Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike, “an exceptionally intimate portrait” (Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love) of the Dalai Lama—one of the most singular figures of our time.

For over three decades, Pico Iyer, one of our most cherished travel writers, has been a friend to the Dalai Lama. Over these years through intimate conversations, he has come to know him in a way that few can claim. Here he paints an unprecedented portrait of the Dalai Lama, explaining his work and ideas about politics, science, technology, and religion. The Open Road illuminates the hidden life and the daily challenges of this global icon.

A National (U.S.) Bestseller

“Marvelous...An elegant and intensely personal book.”Shashi Tharoor, Washington Post

“Superb…Iyer concretely conveys his truths, making it seem as if he, the reader and the Dalai Lama are all sitting in the same room.”Philadelphia Inquirer

“Intimate and insightful…Succeeds as a work of biography, history and memoir.”Los Angeles Times