Sharon Salzberg is a figure in the field of meditation and a world-renowned teacher and author of nine books, including the New York Times bestseller Real Happiness. She is the cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts. Her down-to-earth teaching style, offers a secular, modern approach to Buddhist teachings, making them instantly accessible. In Real Love (Flatiron Books) Sharon Salzberg provides a pathway towards a more sustainable and authentic model of love by offering a creative toolkit of mindfulness exercises, meditation techniques, and interactive applications that will guide readers through the process of stripping away layers of habit to find a truer meaning of love, to “real love.” The book is divided into four sections, each addressing a distinct experience of “real love”: love for the self, love for another individual, love for all beings, and love for life itself. As you work through each layer you will become more present and adapt to things as they actually are. Only when we are truly engaged with present experiences that we not only are able to feel more connected to our own core selves, but also to those around us. Author and social activist bell hooks said that “Writing with compassion and keen insight Real Love opens the heart, helping everyone understand love as revolutionary spiritual practice.”
