It's Not You, It's the World

“Dr. Cheek makes healing into a practicable aim and endeavor; the ultimate balm recommended in this fine work is compassion.”—From the foreword by Gabor Maté

“The real reason emotional suffering is skyrocketing isn’t because we’re flawed or broken—it’s because we’re responding to a deeply unwell world. In this brilliant, wise, and profoundly compassionate book, Dr. Joanna Cheek guides us to see the wider ecology driving our distress—the dis-ease of greed, hatred and delusion that infects our societies. With clarity and care, she invites us to face these truths together, to hold hands, and to begin healing the roots of our collective pain.”—Tara Brach, author of Radical Acceptance

“Kudos to Dr. Cheek for showing us the science behind our global dysfunction, and the research-led responses needed to heal ourselves and our world. Without flinching, Dr. Cheek faces the personal and the political, bringing her 'perky optimist' self and clinical expertise to a stunning range of problems. Her courage and wisdom shine through these pages!”—Jack Kornfield, PhD, founding teacher of Insight Meditation Society and Spirit Rock Meditation Center, and Trudy Goodman, PhD, cofounder of the Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy and founding teacher of InsightLA

“Highlighting the inextricably interconnected nature of our existence and the vast web of causes and conditions behind each of our individual experiences, Dr. Cheek’s It’s Not You, It's the World emphasizes the need for greater compassion and mutual understanding to best meet the polycrises impacting us all today.”—Sharon Salzberg, author of Lovingkindness and Real Life