Into the Magic Shop - by James R Doty (Paperback)

About the Book

The author relates how a chance encounter in a magic shop with a woman who taught him exercises to ease his sufferings and manifest his greatest desires gave him a glimpse of the relationship between the brain and the heart, and drove him to explore the neuroscience of compassion and altruism.

Book Synopsis

The award-winning New York Times bestseller about the extraordinary things that can happen when we harness the power of both the brain and the heart

"It's Doty's ability to describe his journey so lyrically, and then his willingness to share his methods, that make this book a gem."--Abraham Verghese, MD, author of Cutting for Stone

Growing up in the high desert of California, Jim Doty was poor, with an alcoholic father and a mother chronically depressed and paralyzed by a stroke. Today he is the director of the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE) at Stanford University, of which the Dalai Lama is a founding benefactor. But back then his life was at a dead end until at twelve he wandered into a magic shop looking for a plastic thumb. Instead he met Ruth, a woman who taught him a series of exercises to ease his own suffering and manifest his greatest desires. Her final mandate was that he keep his heart open and teach these techniques to others. She gave him his first glimpse of the unique relationship between the brain and the heart.

Doty would go on to put Ruth's practices to work with extraordinary results--power and wealth that he could only imagine as a twelve-year-old, riding his orange Sting-Ray bike. But he neglects Ruth's most important lesson, to keep his heart open, with disastrous results--until he has the opportunity to make a spectacular charitable contribution that will virtually ruin him. Part memoir, part science, part inspiration, and part practical instruction, Into the Magic Shop shows us how we can fundamentally change our lives by first changing our brains and our hearts.

Review Quotes

"Into the Magic Shop is pure magic! That a child from humble beginnings could become a professor of neurosurgery and the founder of a center that studies compassion and altruism at a major university, as well as an entrepreneur and philanthropist is extraordinary enough. But it is Doty's ability to describe his journey so lyrically, and then his willingness to share his methods that make this book a gem."
--Abraham Verghese, MD, Author of Cutting for Stone

"This book tells the remarkable story of a neurosurgeon's quest to unravel the mystery of the link between our brains and our hearts. From the moment in his childhood when a simple act of kindness changed the course of his own life to his founding a center to study compassion at Stanford University. Jim Doty's life illustrates how each of us can make a difference. We can make the world a more compassionate place. I'm sure many readers will be moved by this inspiring story to open their hearts and see what they too can do for others."
--His Holiness the Dalai Lama

"Into the Magic Shop offers a gripping, well-told journey into the mysteries of the human mind and brain. Neurosurgeon James Doty has written a heartwarming tale of courage and compassion."
--Daniel Goleman, Ph.D., author of Emotional Intelligence

"Into the Magic Shop is a captivating journey of discovery. Neurosurgeon Jim Doty's well-told personal story illuminates for us all the power of insight and empathy to transform our lives and enhance our world. Read it and you too may find magic in the mystery and majesty of the mind to bring health and healing to our individual and collective lives.
--Daniel J. Siegel, M.D., Author of Mindsight

"Part memoir, part scientific exploration, Into the Magic Shop is a powerful work of emotion and discovery, showing that we all have within us our own small magic shop, a place of calm and beauty we can return to whenever we need it. As James Doty compellingly shows, we simply have to open the door, and let ourselves in."
--Arianna Huffington, author of Thrive

"A moving memoir on the power of compassion and kindness. Neurosurgeon James Doty shares his inspiring story of growing up with seemingly insurmountable challenges, receiving a gift that changed his life, achieving remarkable success but then losing it all, and discovering that the mind is shaped as much by the heart as the brain."
--Adam Grant, PhD, author of Give and Take

"A powerful, eloquent, deeply spiritual and exquisitely beautiful book. Real magic!"
--Dean Ornish, M.D., author of The Spectrum

"This is one of the most compelling and inspiring books I have ever read. We're with Jim at each step, as he struggles with poverty and trauma, becomes a world-class brain surgeon, gains and loses a fortune, and learns deep lessons about the magic in each person's heart. Gripping, profound, extraordinary."
--Rick Hanson, Ph.D., author of Hardwiring Happiness

"Dr. Doty's powerful book, Into the Magic Shop, is a testament to how faith and compassion extend beyond religion, race and nationality and can help an individual overcome adversity and personal limitations. It is an inspiration."
--Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, spiritual leader and founder of the Art of Living Foundation

"Into the Magic Shop will literally rewire your brain. A candid and personal story about a life transformed by a chance encounter in a magic shop. It is a truly optimistic and inspirational testament to the power of compassion and the ability to overcome adversity and discover your true potential."
--Glenn Beck, nationally syndicated radio host and founder of The Blaze

"An optimistic and engagingly well-told life story that incorporates scientific investigation into its altruistic message."
--Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

James R. Doty, MD, is the New York Times bestselling author of Into the Magic Shop and Mind Magic. An adjunct professor at Stanford University and the director of the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE), he served on the board of a number of nonprofits, including as the chairman of the Dalai Lama Foundation. Dr. Doty passed away in July 2025.