We all have a right to the pursuit of happiness—but could we actually be happier if we gave that whole thing up?

This surprising new book from Zen teacher, psychoanalyst, and critical favorite Barry Magid inspires us-in gentle and winking prose-to move on and make peace with the perfection of the way things actually are, including ourselves.

Magid invites us to consider that our "pursuit of happiness" may actually be a source of our suffering. He takes an unusual look at our "secret practices"—what we're really doing when we say we're meditating-like trying to feel calmer, or more compassionate, or even "enlightened" (whatever we imagine that means!). He also uncovers our "curative fantasies" about spiritual practice-those ideas that we can somehow fix all the messy human things about ourselves that we imagine are bad or wrong or unacceptable. In doing so, he helps us look squarely at-and avoid-such pitfalls. Along the way, Magid lays out a rich roadmap of the new "psychological-minded Zen"—a Zen that includes our entire life, our entire personality—as pioneered by his teacher, bestselling author Charlotte Joko Beck.

Praise & Reviews "This is an exceptional work, majestic in its scope and clarity. Barry Magid presents a mature vision and he does it with utmost care and intelligence. I really loved this book."—Mark Epstein, M.D., author of Thoughts without a Thinker and Psychotherapy without the Self "Ending the Pursuit of Happiness is destined to become a classic. Magid has written a guide to Zen practice that is inspired by a deep understanding of the essence of both Zen and psychoanalysis. He systematically exposes and dismantles the subtle fantasies that keep us trapped in our futile attempts to transcend the human condition. Magid speaks with an authentic voice that is wise, sly and subversive. There is not a false note here. In an era dominated by the pursuit of quick fixes and the growing medicalization of the mental health field, this book provides a radical and vitally important challenge to the prevailing cultural ethos."—Jeremy D. Safran, Ph.D., Professor & Director of Clinical Psychology, New School for Social Research, and editor of Psychoanalysis and Buddhism "Ending the Pursuit of Happiness takes a Zen approach to meditation and spirituality, arguing that meditation shouldn't be a conscious effort to treat spiritual or physical ailments."—Newsweek "Thought-provoking. Magid makes us reflect on why and how we practice, challenging common assumptions and hidden agendas directly."—Martine Batchelor, author of Let Go: A Buddhist Guide to Breaking Free of Habits

Barry Magid, Author BARRY MAGID is a psychiatrist and psychoanalyst practicing in New York City, and the founding teacher of the Ordinary Mind Zendo, also in New York. He is the author of the Wisdom titles Ordinary Mind and Ending the Pursuit of Happiness. ,