James R. Doty author photo
Image via Wikimedia Commons, sous licence CC BY-SA 3.0.

James R. Doty

Né(e): December 01, 1955 – Lancaster, California, United States

James R. Doty is an American neurosurgeon, professor, and author whose work centers on neuroscience, compassion, and mindfulness. He founded Stanford’s Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education and wrote the bestselling memoir Into the Magic Shop, which helped broaden public interest in the science and practice of compassion.

Biographie et Parcours de l'Auteur

James R. Doty was an American neurosurgeon, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and author whose public story joined medicine to contemplative practice. Born on December 1, 1955, in Lancaster, California, he grew up in poverty in a household shaped by an alcoholic father and a mother who struggled severely with mental illness. The decisive turning point in his childhood came in the summer of 1968, when, at age twelve, he met a woman named Ruth in a local magic shop; over several weeks, she taught him meditation and visualization techniques that he later described as life-changing. Doty became the first in his family to attend college, studying biological science at the University of California, Irvine, before earning his medical degree from Tulane University in 1981. He then trained through an Army scholarship pathway, completing internship at Tripler Army Medical Center, neurosurgery residency at Walter Reed, and later pediatric neurosurgery and neurophysiology work, while serving nine years on active duty and rising to major. ((https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2025/10/james-doty-obit))

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Citations

quote
I didn’t like being hungry. I didn’t like being poor
-Real Magic
quote
we are wired to connect
-Why Kindness Heals
quote
work is often considered a ruthless cut-throat environment with little if any compassion
-Science of Compassion: Business & Compassion, Part 1
quote
This is done through compassion
-Science of Compassion: Business & Compassion Part 2
quote
Compassion is the recognition of another’s suffering and a desire to alleviate that suffering
-The Science of Compassion
quote
So what’s not to like about being compassionate?
-Is Being Compassionate Healthy?
quote
I will rephrase the question to ask what is a life of meaning?
-What is a Life of Meaning?
quote
Giving that money away turned out to be the best thing that ever happened in my life
-All in the Mind: The Science of Compassion
quote
manifesting is neither a get-rich-quick scheme nor a misguided wish-fulfillment system
-What We Get Wrong About Manifesting

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Voix de la Communauté

"James R. Doty’s ability to describe his journey so lyrically makes this book a gem"

Abraham Verghese

"James R. Doty’s well-told personal story illuminates the power of insight and empathy to transform our lives"

Daniel J. Siegel

"Stanford neurosurgeon and compassion scientist James R. Doty shares the underlying neuroscience of manifestation"

Paul Gilbert

"James R. Doty offers powerful, neuroscience-based techniques for manifestation that can change our lives and our world"

Marci Shimoff

"James R. Doty’s life illustrates how each of us can make a difference"

Dalai Lama

"As James R. Doty compellingly shows, we all have within us our own small magic shop"

Arianna Huffington

"James R. Doty, the renowned neuroscientist and brain surgeon, has made me think again"

Stephen Fry

"Neurosurgeon James R. Doty has written a heartwarming tale of courage and compassion"

Daniel Goleman

"Neurosurgeon James R. Doty shares his inspiring story of growing up with seemingly insurmountable challenges"

Adam Grant

"What James R. Doty shows us in this book will change everything you thought you knew about how to reach a goal"

Chip Conley

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