Of Human Kindness

An award-winning scholar and teacher explores how Shakespeare's greatest characters were built on a learned sense of empathy While exploring Shakespeare's plays with her students, Paula Marantz Cohen discovered that teaching and discussing his plays unlocked a surprising sense of compassion in the classroom. In this short and illuminating book, she shows how Shakespeare's genius lay with his ability to arouse empathy, even when his characters exist in alien contexts and behave in reprehensible ways. Cohen takes her readers through a selection of Shakespeare's most famous plays, including Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, and The Merchant of Venice, to demonstrate the ways in which Shakespeare thought deeply and clearly about how we treat "the other." Cohen argues that only through close reading of Shakespeare can we fully appreciate his empathetic response to race, class, gender, and age. Wise, eloquent, and thoughtful, this book is a forceful argument for literature's power to champion what is best in us.

We have all felt fear, whether it’s our racing heart as we make a speech or the profound awareness of our own mortality as we await medical results. Of course, the flip-side of fear is courage: as Nelson Mandela famously said, ‘I learned that courage was not the absence of fear but the triumph over it.’ The 25 true stories showcased here capture the full range of the fear and courage experience. At times humorous, often poignant, they shine a light on just what it means to be human.

Is karma real? "Seeking Human Kindness" is a compilation of 50 inspirational true short stories gathered from across the world. It explores the meaning of humanity. Each vignette focuses on a separate real life event told from perspective of those who experienced great and unexpected boons. Some received great acts of kindness in their moment of need or lent aid to one who needed it most. Their actions precipitated unforeseen events, even in some cases changing their life's direction. Authors were carefully chosen, based on those who had compelling stories to tell. They hail from multiple countries, diverse backgrounds, education, skillsets, life journeys, etc. They come together in this compilation to share their experiences in dealing with the life altering after effects of human kindness.

Human Kindness and the Smell of Warm Croissants makes philosophy fun, tactile, and popular. Moral thinking is simple, Ruwen Ogien argues, and as inherent as the senses. In our daily experiences, in the situations we confront and in the scenes we witness, we develop an understanding of right and wrong as sophisticated as the moral outlook of the world's most gifted philosophers. By drawing on this knowledge to navigate life's most perplexing problems, ethics becomes second nature. Ogien explores, through experimental philosophy and other methods, the responses nineteen real-world conundrums provoke. Is a short, mediocre life better than no life at all? Is it acceptable to kill a healthy person so his organs can save five others? Would you swap a "natural" life filled with frustration, disappointment, and partial success for a world in which all of your needs are met, but through artificial and mechanical means? Ogien doesn't seek to show how difficult it is to determine right from wrong or how easy it is for humans to become monsters or react like saints. Helping us tap into the wisdom and feeling we already possess in our ethical "toolboxes," Ogien instead encourages readers to question moral presuppositions and rules; embrace an intuitive sense of dignity, virtue, and justice; and pursue a pluralist ethics suited to the principles of human kindness.

The Anatomy of Human Kindness By: Chi C. Mao, M. D., Ph. D. In this examination of contemporary American society, Chi C. Mao, M.D., Ph.D. reminds us that human kindness is a double-edged sword. Rightful use can help—but the misuse of kindness can be destructive to not only individuals, but to society, the country and the very survival of our species. His keen observations on the sad changes in U.S. culture have provoked this treatise on the dangers of kindness and the effects it has had on the American spirit in recent years. In the distribution of kindness, Dr. Mao states: “One, do no harm. Two, use it in a most effective way.”

This Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestseller is filled with true stories about how one small deed can make a world of difference. “Elegant and wise” (Deepak Chopra). “The most uplifting and life-affirming book in years” (Forbes). “This might be the most beautiful book I’ve ever read. It’s lifted my soul and brought me to tears in all the right ways.”—Jane Green, author of 18 New York Times bestsellers Named best inspirational book of the year by the Independent Book Publishers Association and chosen as an International Book Awards winner, HumanKind is the heartwarming, feel-good book we all need right now. These inspiring stories will open your heart and rekindle your faith in humanity. You’ll meet the mentor who changed a child’s life with a single lesson in shoe-tying and see the far-reaching ripple effects of that seemingly small deed. You’ll also meet the six-year-old who launched a global kindness movement; the band of seamstress grandmothers who patch clothes and mend hearts for homeless people; the puppy, given as a gift, that touched the lives of thousands of children; and many other heroes. There are also practical tips for making a difference with your own words and deeds, and the resource section lists organizations where you can channel your efforts to create your own ripples of kindness. HumanKind is a great gift to yourself and anyone who’s been a source of kindness in your life. It will leave you grateful for what you have, provide a refuge from the negativity that surrounds us, and remind you of what really matters. All author royalties are donated to Big Brothers Big Sisters.

"A Stanford psychologist offers a bold new understanding of empathy, revealing it to be a skill, not a fixed trait, and showing, through science and stories, how we can all become more empathetic"--