NATIONAL BESTSELLER * 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.