Lama Surya Das is an American-born lama in the Dzoghen lineage of Tibet and author of the best-seller Awakening the Buddha Within. Here, he asks the universal question: 'Why do bad things happen to me?' His answers are based on his own experiences - from having a bicycle stolen to the death of his father. Change, he says, should be seen as an opportunity for learning about ourselves and the nature of reality. The reasons we are hurt by life are often as mysterious as the reasons we're graced with beauty and joy. His advice seems reasonable enough. He recommends meditation, keeping a journal, 'naming' your feelings, visualising attachments and chanting mantras. He writes short, blunt sentences, which may be effective for public speaking, but are clumsy on the page.