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The Kindness of Strangers

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I've read many books about group selection and why cooperation developed via altruism within tribes, but this book shed new light on the topics. McCullough also details the interesting history of social work and social services, which I was unaware of prior to reading the book. This ebook does not contain essays by Pico Iyer and Tanya Shaffer, which were part of the print collection. I wish I read this when it was released, not ten years later. Ten years ago I didn't think I would live to see this day. Ten years ago I was so engrossed in pain I didn't believe in futures. So in a way I am glad I'm reading this a decade later, seeing how far I have come. Despite how painful this book is, it is a reminder that things DO get better. And that is worth all the marbles to me. 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.

Many of the stories take place in troubled parts of the world, like the middle east and Africa. Reading travel experiences in areas that you aren't likely to visit is, to me, the easiest way to deepen your understanding of the history and politics of the region. The Kindness of Strangers: Child Abandonment in Western Europe from Late Antiquity to the Renaissance, a 1988 book by John Boswell I have always depended on the kindness of strangers", a line from Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire (1947) there's good stuff in here. if you don't know the things he goes through, then it's worth reading. but i'd suggest reading about price or dawkins or hamilton elsewhere. and i'd suggest reading singer's the life you can save or macaskill's book rather than this.It’s very much a typical American style narrative - with the locals portrayed as quite some weirdos, or bizarre people. No offence to any Americans though. It’s just that I’ve observed Europeans to not be so self-centered and they don’t talk about locals like they’re those weird strangers. I don't know if any of Katrina Kittle's story is true or if it is derived from a true story but it takes some serious courage to talk about the details of abuse that I don't have. 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.

You know that feeling, when something really sad happens, when you can't seem to take a full breath, and your chest hurts? All through this book I fought to breathe. Poor Jordan HAS to rely on the kindness of strangers, because both parents are monsters. Sarah and her boys, Nate and Danny, are dealing with the death of their husband and father, supported by the neighbors, Courtney and Mark. But the neighbors' secrets blow the town, and Sarah's family sky high. Sexual depravity and molestation, with their own son Jordan as the victim. All the unspeakable things happen to Jordan before the book begins, but as Sarah and Nate and the reader discover how horrible the abuse was, we sink deeper and deeper into the abyss. As McCullough explains, the explanation lies in our evolving ideas and justifications, guided by reason, for why we should consider the needs of others on par with our own, and with those of our closest kith and kin. Humans have learned, through various historical confrontations with mass human suffering, to expand their own circle of empathy by advancing arguments that break down arbitrary distinctions and divisions that prevent us from caring about the needs of others.

The first few essays were quite badly written. The authors spent a great deal of their piece apologizing for something, and ending with a vague summary of some thoughts about kindness. While this was a difficult book to read at times, I'm not at all sorry that I did. Sometimes the best stories make us uncomfortable, but ultimately enable us to grow as readers and as humans. This was one of the special ones. What started out as (I thought) a sappy story soon became an amazingly illuminating read that could easily serve as educational, were it actual nonfiction. In honesty, I could not put it down..even so much as taking it to lunch with my husband and reading it before the food arrived. Painful, poignant, promising....and, unfortunately, more than possible.

Received this for a secret santa present after making a passing reference in a bookshop to it looking interesting with my secret santa within earshot! It makes for a really enjoyable and heartwarming read from some of the UK's top adventurers who have each been met with kindness in times of adversity. I read this book about 8 years ago and it's one of those books that has stayed with me ever since. It will probably always be one of my favorite books. Even though it is also one of the most difficult books I have ever read. It's the book that comes to mind whenever someone asks for a recommendation. I had originally meant to write a review but somehow it slipped my mind. 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). From 1989 to 1992 she served as Chair of PEN American Center, West. Currently, she is Emeritus Professor of English at California State University, Sacramento.Another reviewer made the astute observation that this collection of tales doesn't offer enough space for the reader to become acquainted with the characters and they didn't like this book. I found it delightful because I was introduced to skilled authors and a taste of their travel adventures. So while it's true that the stories are short, they reminded me that dusty corners of the globe are full of friendly natives and intrepid first world explorers who enjoy the same experiences I do. This is heartening and a worthy evening retreat toward the Land of Nod, i.e., bedtime. Dave Eggers and Laura Fraser's stories were particularly attractive.

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