In the rush and hustle of the political season, it’s easy to get caught up in the vigor and vitriol and forget that elections are about choosing a leader, someone who represents the best in all of us, regardless of their race, gender, or even their age.

Unfortunately, what often happens is that we not only forget who we are, but who we want to be, who we could be. Fueled by the media circus, it is easy to lose our way and separate ourselves by reds and blues, progressives and conservatives—in short, we lose our minds, or at least our mindfulness.

Enter Mindful Politics: A Buddhist Guide to Making the World a Better Place. This collection of well written essays (edited by Melvin McLeod, Editor-in-Chief of Shambhala Sun and Buddhadharma: The Practitioner’s Journal) may be an older book (published in 2006), but its advice couldn’t be more timely. It includes works from such luminaries as Thich Nhat Hahn, The Dalai Lama, Chogyam Trungpa, and many others. Each essay has been chosen with the intent of helping us make better decisions when selecting our leaders and to help our leaders make better decisions when shaping our world.

Buddhist or not, this is a book that is highly recommended for anyone interested in creating a more informed and compassionate electorate. Published by Wisdom Publications and printed on 50% PCW recycled paper. (For more information on Wisdom Publications environmental policies and practices, go here.)  Mindful Politics: A Buddhist Guide to Making the World a Better Place can be found at the Wisdom Publications website or at your local, independent bookstore.