Book Marks Twelves Steps to a Compassionate Life By Karen Armstrong Knopf, 240 pp., $22.95

In 2008 noted religious historian Armstrong started Charter for Compassion, an organization that sought input from religious leaders and thinkers of many traditions to create a manifesto for compassionate living. The resulting charter asserts that a universal moral code, bearing resemblance to the Golden Rule, is present in all religions and cultures. Trading in explication for inspiration, Armstrong's book is meant to be a primer on how to apply this charter in daily life. The book's 12 steps- including "Empathy," "Action" and "Concern for Everybody"- are based on the belief that a mindful life is one well lived.