The Kindness of Strangers

Product Information

This book was torturous in moments, yet ultimately heartwarming. There is no question that this world is full of evil. We see it in the shootings that seem to be happening on an alarmingly regular basis. We see it in the face of pedophiles. We see it in the face of mothers who kill their children. However, there is also tremendous good. I've never been so taken with a character, than I had with Sarah. Her nurturing and kind spirit toward Jordan ignited my soul.

These characters & this story will stay with me forever, because after all, you can never forget those who have hurt you. When she comes to the aid of a friend's young son, she finds herself embroiled in the exposure of a child sex ring. Disbelief, horror,guilt are just some of the emotions she struggles to come to terms with as the legal case against her friend grows. Lonely Planet. It's on everyone's bookshelves; it's in every traveller's hands. It's on mobile phones. It's on the Internet. It's everywhere, and it's telling entire generations of people how to travel the world.' - Fairfax Media (Australia) Jordan, aged beyond his mere eleven years, cannot understand why this is happening to him. He is a child, unwilling and unable to comprehend his situation. For him, there is no escape.The characters that are able to share their unique perspective really draws out the complex reactions to abuse experienced in the wider community but without the characters losing their individual identities. Their emotions and motivations come across as genuine. They are ordinary people who have to cope with a tragic set of circumstances while still living their lives. When an elementary boy tries to kill himself, people look for reasons. What they usually find is horrendous.

This book both made me want to travel, or more specifically to adventure, to more historically "out of bounds" or perhaps less trodden places but also offered some valuable life lessons. For example, sometimes taking is the best gift you can give (think restoring the dignity of refugees in, for example, the jungle). I honestly don't know how to rate this book because I loved it so much yet disturbed all at the same time. I found myself not being able to put the book down but probably because I wanted to know what was going to happen to each of them. Of course it broke my heart as we know this really does exist every day. I think it was a GREAT approach for the author to show- yes, good things can come out of horrible situations.Some actions/adventures or incidents felt a bit like a show-off to me or like absolutely ridiculous/dangerous acts and stupid decisions or even worse...travels for selfish motives that result to transfer one's responsibilities and been a burden to other people, coated with a slim excuse of self-discovery or charity or to prove the world is a nice place or whatever yada yada...

It was obvious from the beginning of the story that the drivers were going to be bad guys. What was disturbing to me was how totally selfish and life-threateningly inconsiderate the narrator was if his critically ill, severely dehydrated girlfriend. I greatly appreciate the theme of this book that gathers stories of kindness received when it was most needed and perhaps least expected. I am sure they will inspire everyone who reads them, encouraging each of us to take whatever opportunities arise to be kind to others in turn. - HIS HOLINESS THE DALAI LAMA How did humans, a species of self-centered apes, come to care about others? Since Darwin, scientists have tried to answer this question using evolutionary theory. In The Kindness of Strangers, psychologist Michael McCullough shows why they have failed and offers a new explanation instead. From the moment nomadic humans first settled down until the aftermath of the Second World War, our species has confronted repeated crises that we could only survive by changing our behavior. As McCullough argues, these choices weren't enabled by an evolved moral sense, but with moral invention-driven not by evolution's dictates but by reason. This book introduced me to author Katrina Kittle and I've since read every novel she has written. She is one of my favorite authors and I'm always looking forward to her next book.

Book Summary

if you've read a bit of ev-psych stuff, you'll know the material in the beginning section of this book. I absolutely loved this book. It is without a doubt one of the most heartbreaking books I've ever read, but also the most heartwarming, in an alternating pattern that varies throughout the book. Dealing with the aftermath of horrible child abuse in a way that is honest and real, there is no sugarcoating of facts to be found here. Obviously, things aren't blatantly described, but the author has no problem discussing the issue. But, at the same time, this is not a story about child abuse, but rather a story about triumph, survival, and the love and support of a family. The focus on kindness of strangers were lost in many of the essays. It felt like the authors rambled on sometimes. Traveling alone around the world is a daunting task for many people, including myself years ago, but after my own personal experience in solo traveling, I began to slowly and gradually appreciate it, especially when making serendipitous discoveries, coming face to face with unparalleled local hospitality, and experiencing local people's unbridled kindness. It goes against unconventional wisdom, one that is ingrained since childhood in the form of a parent's advice: 'do not trust strangers'. Yet, perhaps counter-intuitively, by closing ourselves towards strangers we learn to forget what it's like to witness unconditional kindness, one that is not bearing any ulterior motive or motivated by self-interest.