“These are my favorite books because they explain the philosophy of Buddhism in a very easy and practical way,” says Chopra. “In addition, they clearly show that Buddha's message was no different from the universal message of great beings such as Jesus, Confucius, and Socrates. The essence of all these teachings that have their roots in the wisdom traditions is that at a deep level consciousness is inseparably one, that the world that we inhabit is a projection of our elective consciousness, that everything interdependently co-arises. Unlike other religious teachers, however, Buddha defers in that he does not advocate a belief system, an ideology or a dogma. Like a great physician he identifies the problem: the human condition. He then identifies causes of suffering and follows with the prescription. In my view the following books explain the four noble truths and the eightfold noble paths in the simplest and most practical way.”

• 1. Buddha by Karen Armstrong
  
  A definitive biography from the author of A History of God.
  
  
  
• 2. Jesus and Buddha: The Parallel Sayings, edited by Marcus J. Borg and Ray Riegert
  
  A holistic approach to the teachings of two of the world's greatest spiritual leaders.
  
  
  
• 3. Socrates, Buddha, Confucius, Jesus: From The Great Philosophers, Volume I by Karl Jaspers
  
  Excerpts on the fab four from Jaspers' bulky Great Philosophers tome
  
  
  
• 4. Old Path White Clouds: Walking in the Footsteps of the Buddha by Thich Nhat Hanh
  
  A spiritually rich biography drawn from Sanskrit and Chinese texts written by a Vietnamese Buddhist monk.
  
  
  
• 5. The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching by Thich Nhat Hanh
  
  Buddhism 101, a study of the fundamental principles.
  
  
  
• 6. Awakening the Buddha Within : Tibetan Wisdom for the Western World by Lama Surya Das
  
  Translating an ancient philosophy into a handbook for the modern world.
  
  
  
• 7. Radical Acceptance: Embracing Your Life With the Heart of a Buddha by Tara Brach
  
  Psychotherapy meets Buddhist philosophy; A self-help guide featuring exercises, anecdotes and case histories.
  
  
  
• 8. Buddha Is as Buddha Does: The Ten Original Practices for Enlightened Living by Lama Surya Das
  
  A guide on bringing paramitas (or perfection) into everyday life based on the Bodhisattva Code.
  
  
  
• 9. The Buddha and the Terrorist by Satish Kumar
  
  A contemporary retelling of the parable of Buddha's encounters with the bloodthirsty Angulimala.
  
  
  
• 10. Living Buddha, Living Christ by Thich Nhat Hanh
  
  A study of common ground, reconciling Christianity with the principles of Buddhism.