“Tenzin Geyche Tethong has written a book for all times: delightful, insightful, truthful, authentic, fun, moving, and important. Tenzin Geyche’s narrative is warm and knowing_he was there. This is a completely necessary addition to understanding who and what His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama truly is … and to feeling the heart and soul of Tibet. The photographs are rare and superb. The stories are fresh and beautifully told. I was transported. I love this book.” —Richard Gere

“This gorgeous biography-in-photographs is a more than welcome addition to the ever-expanding library of books by and about the Dalai Lama. Tethong has worked with and been close to the Dalai Lama for four decades, and he makes new the ever-fascinating story of His Holiness and his mission in a book that will appeal to readers just discovering the Dalai Lama and those steeped in his life and influence. The harrowing story of the Dalai Lama’s escape from Tibet and the approaching blitzkrieg of the invading Chinese has become legend. So, too, his humble rural childhood before he was identified as the fourteenth incarnation of Avalokiteshvara, the Buddha of Infinite Compassion. Here, too, is life-in-exile in Dharamsala, India, where the Dalai Lama focused on the Tibetan community even as he became an in-demand world leader and icon. There is so much to see in this lush and generous biography, which not only portrays His Holiness but which also illustrates the vibrant cultural heritage and resiliency of the Tibetan diaspora, that readers will be compelled to repeatedly return to its pages.” —Booklist

“There is a wealth of literature on the Dalai Lama, his teachings, his life, and Tibet’s relations with China. However, this biography by Tethong, one of the Dalai Lama’s longtime aides, may offer a more intimate and personal perspective. Readers are taken through a brisk overview of this extraordinary life covering the Dalai Lama’s young ascendency to his position, the struggles and diplomatic roes that led to his life in exile, his work in spreading Tibetan culture and Buddhist teachings around the world, and his unwavering call for peace and compassion. Tethong offers personal anecdotes as a witness to many of these moments and provides a Tibetan context to allow readers to have a better understanding of the course of historical moments in the Dalai Lama’s life. The true gem of this work is the extensive number of previously unpublished archival photographs and primary documents. VERDICT A general but authentic overview of the Dalai Lama’s life that will appeal to those new to the topic, as well as vested scholars, for the work’s valuable archival material.” —Library Journal

“Tethong, a long-serving aide to the Dalai Lama, offers a vivid insider’s look at the life of one of the most revered spiritual figures in the world. The Dalai Lama who emerges here is a humble man who loves his Lhasa Apso dogs, tinkering with watches, watching movies, and keeping up conversations with the world’s top scientists. Through a gripping narrative and never-before-seen photos of the Dalai Lama and his family, Tethong tells the story of Tibet and its sometimes violent struggle for autonomy from China. This larger story is intimately intertwined with the Dalai Lama’s life, which took him from a farming and horse trading family in a small Tibetan village to the temple-palace complexes of Lhasa, to exile in India after Chinese occupation of his country in 1959. Tethong also covers the Dalai Lama’s relationships with prominent figures including former Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and how they have broadened his outlook beyond Tibet. Notably, the Dalai Lama’s trips with Desmond Tutu to Israel, in Tethong’s estimation, reinforced his message of ‘continued advocacy for universal values of peace and brotherhood.’ This remarkably candid and intimate account sheds new light on the life of the world leader.” —Publishers Weekly