What is Desmond Tutu's highest-rated book?

"The Book of Joy" is Desmond Tutu's highest-rated book on LuvemBooks, with a reader rating of 4.7/5.

How many Desmond Tutu books are reviewed on LuvemBooks?

We have reviewed 1 book by Desmond Tutu.

What genres does Desmond Tutu write?

Desmond Tutu's books span genres including Self-Help & Personal Development, Philosophy & Religion, Religion & Spirituality.

LuvemBooks has reviewed one Desmond Tutu title: The Book of Joy (co-authored with the Dalai Lama and Douglas Carlton Abrams), a record of a historic five-day conversation about suffering, resilience, and lasting happiness that became a New York Times bestseller with over one million copies sold — rated 4.7 out of 5 by more than 15,000 Amazon readers.

Desmond Tutu

Desmond Mpilo Tutu (7 October 1931 – 26 December 2021) was a South African Anglican bishop and theologian, born in Klerksdorp, Transvaal. A prominent anti-apartheid and human rights activist, he served as Bishop of Johannesburg (1985–1986) and Archbishop of Cape Town (1986 onward). He co-authored The Book of Joy with the Dalai Lama and Douglas Carlton Abrams, among other works.

Biographical details sourced from Wikipedia and Penguin Random House.

On LuvemBooks, we've reviewed The Book of Joy.

1

Books Reviewed

The Book of Joy

4.7/5

reader rating · 15,464 ratings

The Book of Joy captures a historic five-day conversation between Nobel Peace Prize Laureates the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, recorded in Dharamsala, India in April 2015, as both men reflected on suffering, resilience, and the nature of lasting happiness. Co-written with Douglas Carlton Abrams, it became a New York Times bestseller and has sold over one million copies.

Reviewed Aug 12, 2026

Ask LuvemBooks about Desmond Tutu

Desmond Tutu is represented on LuvemBooks by one reviewed title, The Book of Joy, a record of a five-day conversation with the Dalai Lama that draws on both leaders' lived experience of suffering and resilience to argue for the possibility of lasting happiness. Tutu approaches that subject not through doctrine alone but through personal storytelling and dialogue, making theology accessible without diluting it. Readers have rated it 4.7 out of 5 across more than 15,000 Amazon reviews.

Where should I start?: With only one Desmond Tutu title reviewed on LuvemBooks, the natural starting point is The Book of Joy, co-written with the Dalai Lama and Douglas Carlton Abrams. It works well as an introduction because it presents Tutu's outlook through conversation rather than formal theology, making it accessible to readers regardless of their religious background. Its 4.7-out-of-5 reader rating across more than 15,000 Amazon reviews suggests it connects broadly, not just with those already familiar with either author.
What's their writing style?: In The Book of Joy, Tutu's voice comes through as warm, direct, and grounded in personal experience rather than abstract argument. The book's format — a recorded dialogue — means the writing preserves the texture of spoken conversation, with Tutu and the Dalai Lama trading stories and disagreements as much as conclusions. Co-author Douglas Carlton Abrams weaves supporting narrative around the exchanges, but Tutu's own contributions are characterised by an ease with both gravity and humour that reflects decades of public speaking and pastoral work.
Books we've reviewed: LuvemBooks has reviewed one Desmond Tutu title: The Book of Joy (co-authored with the Dalai Lama and Douglas Carlton Abrams), a record of a historic five-day conversation about suffering, resilience, and lasting happiness that became a New York Times bestseller with over one million copies sold — rated 4.7 out of 5 by more than 15,000 Amazon readers.
What genre do they write?: The one Desmond Tutu title reviewed on LuvemBooks, The Book of Joy, falls under Religion & Spirituality, though its dialogue-based approach gives it qualities of memoir and narrative non-fiction as well. Tutu engages with questions about happiness, suffering, and human resilience from a Christian theological perspective, but in conversation with the Dalai Lama's Buddhist outlook, making the book cross-traditional in its appeal.
What should I read after The Book of Joy?: LuvemBooks has only one Desmond Tutu title in its reviewed collection, so there is no second reviewed book to recommend as a next step. Tutu's bio mentions God Has a Dream Unabridged Audio as another notable work, though LuvemBooks has not reviewed it. Readers who connected with The Book of Joy's dialogue format and focus on resilience may also find the Dalai Lama's other works worth exploring.

Who is Desmond Tutu?

Where should I start?

What's their writing style?

Books we've reviewed

What genre do they write?

What should I read after The Book of Joy?

Who is Desmond Tutu?

Desmond Mpilo Tutu (7 October 1931 – 26 December 2021) was a South African Anglican bishop, theologian, and prominent anti-apartheid and human rights activist, born in Klerksdorp, Transvaal. Tutu served as Bishop of Johannesburg and later Archbishop of Cape Town, becoming one of the most recognised moral voices of the twentieth century. Beyond their ecclesiastical role, Tutu co-authored works including The Book of Joy alongside the Dalai Lama and Douglas Carlton Abrams, bringing their reflections on suffering and resilience to a global readership.

Follow up

What was Desmond Tutu's role in the anti-apartheid movement?

What religious positions did Desmond Tutu hold?

Synthesized from verified book data & published reviews · How we review

Press Enter to ask. Answers come from our editorial Q&A — start typing to see related questions.