The authors from this tradition are some of my favourite writers. I love the way they blend together Buddhist teachings and other ancient wisdom with modern psychology and the issues we find ourselves presented with in day-to-day Western life. You can access additional teaching resources and details via the Resources section of their website – http://www.dharma.org/resources

Jack Kornfield

The Wise Heart: Buddhist Psychology for the West

This presents a broad picture of many of basic Buddhist concepts but puts them into a Western context. Jack Kornfield was born in the USA but then left to become a Buddhist monk in South East Asia before returning to the United states, getting married, having a family and becoming a qualified psychologist. So he writes from a perspective of wide understanding and experience.

After the Ecstasy, the Laundry

Many of us discover Buddhism and spirituality and it changes our lives, but we still have to make a living and relate to everyone we knew before we discovered it. This can be a very humbling and, frankly, depressing experience but this book shows how we’re not alone as everyone embarking on the journey experiences similar feelings. It’s very encouraging and provides pointers on how to deal with this situation.

Sharon Salzberg

Lovingkindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness
Heart as Wide as the World: Stories on the Path of Lovingkindness
Sharon’s major area is compassion. Compassion and love are the answer to all our problems and in these two books Sharon shows how we can use them to reduce our own suffering. We often think that these topics are related to other people but one of the major impacts is reducing our own suffering. It’s not just about how we relate to others, it’s how it makes our lives better.
  

Tara Brach

Radical Acceptance: Embracing Your Life with the Heart of a Buddha

Tara’s main premise is that we believe we are broken so are somehow deficient and need fixing, but this is completely wrong. This concept of being inadequate or deficient is what’s at the root of the self-help or self-improvement industry. The reality is though that we don’t need fixing, we were made perfect and are complete as we are. It’s society that’s wrong by saying we need to be better, more beautiful, wealthier, a higher achiever, more successful in our career, better parents. But what’s really needed is acceptance that this is wrong and that we have everything we need already. We were born with it, but we need to realise it. This book is a true life-changer.