power of kindness the unexpected benefits of leading a compassionate life Hardback - 2006

by Piero Ferrucci

A leading transpersonal psychologist reveals the unexpected secret to a happy life

Piero Ferrucci calls it "global cooling," a phenomenon of chilly human relations. Communications are hurried and impersonal. The drive for profit and wealth has becomea cherished value. And warmth and genuine presence have all but dissolved into a sea of materialism and self-interest.

The Power of Kindness is a stirring examination of a simple but profound concept. Piero Ferrucci, one of the world's most respected transpersonal psychologists, explores the many surprising facets of kindness and argues that it is this trait, and this trait alone, which will lead not only to our own individual happiness and the happiness of those around us, but will guide us in a world that has become cold, anxious, difficult, and frightening.

Not an ordinary self-help book, The Power of Kindness is instead a blueprint. Being kind, Ferrucci argues, does not mean becoming a human doormat or a cloying handservant. And "Heaven save us from the fakes," Ferrucci writes-self-interested politeness, calculated generosity, superficial etiquette, and even kindness against one's will.

Instead, kindness is composed of many elements, including qualities not immediately associated with it: flexibility, honesty, a sense of belonging, gratitude, attention, forgiveness, and more. In eighteen interlocking chapters, each devoted to a single aspect of kindness, Ferrucci moves seamlessly from tales of myth and legend to personal anecdotes to scientific research and philosophical treatises. He reveals that the kindest people are the most likely to thrive, to enable others to thrive, and to slowly but steadily turn our world away from violence, self-centeredness, and narcissism, and toward love.

Writing with a rare combination of sensitivity and intellectual depth, Ferrucci shows that, ultimately, kindness is not a luxury in our world, but a necessity for us all.