Brad Aronson - Humankind: Changing the World One Small Act At a Time

PRAISE FOR HUMANKIND

I believe were all connected, and our purpose here on Earth is to help one another. In HumanKind, Brad Aronson shows us how to do this. The stories he shares will inspire you and, thanks to his practical tips, youll feel empowered to act on that feeling and put kindness into action every day, in ways big and small.

GABRIELLE BERNSTEIN, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Universe Has Your Back

Every life is a story woven around the web of relationships, chance encounters and daily challenges. Unconsciously or consciously we are the authors of our life stories. In this very elegant and wise book, Brad shows how we can create a life of adventure and healing by making our lives stories of love in action.

DEEPAK CHOPRA

A refreshing read about the best of humankind. This book offers insights and actionable ideas on how we can be our best selves.

PAM IORIO, CEO, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America

HumanKind is filled with uplifting stories that will inspire you. Goodness begets goodness and this book is chock-full of goodness. Too often these days, the focus is on the negative, on disagreements and fights; this book is the exact opposite. It will make your day, every day you read it.

MARK K. SHRIVER, President, Save the Children Action Network and author of New York Times bestseller A Good Man

HumanKind is a beautiful, sweet reminder of how the simplest act of kindness can have a profound and lasting impact on both the giver and receiver. It reinforces how compassion, empathy and goodwill are fundamental qualities the world needs now, more than ever.

LAURA SCHROFF, #1 New York Times and internationally bestselling author of An Invisible Thread

HumanKind is a celebration of the impact of small choices to transform ourselves and the world around us. It offers up an inspiring way for us to make the world better, even amid injustice, tragedy and misfortune. Read this book for inspiration and a path to the mindset and actions that will contribute to personal happiness and a world full of love.

WENDY KOPP, founder, Teach For America

HumanKind will lift you up and open your heart. It left me feeling grateful and inspired.

KEVIN KRUSE,New York Times bestselling author

HumanKind is a heartfelt reminder of the impact that small acts of kindness have on our communities.

SUSAN CAMPBELL, CEO, Ronald McDonald House Charities, Philadelphia region

Thank you to Brad Aronson for spreading the gospel of kindness. This is a lovely and inspiring book on how we can make the world better with gestures big and small.

A.J. JACOBS, author of numerous New York Times bestsellers including Thanks a Thousand

This book is dedicated to Mia and Jack.

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One hundred percent of author royalties are going to charities including Big Brothers Big Sisters.

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

A FEW YEARS AGO, I attended the high school graduation of one of my mentees. All the students at Girard College (yes, thats actually the name of the high school) are there because of some sort of adversity in their lives. The vast majority of them are also from areas of Philadelphia where its assumed that they wont go to college. In their neighborhoods, one in three kids drops out of high school and only a small fraction of those who do graduate continue their education.

At Girard, on the other hand, 100 percent of that years graduates were accepted by colleges. These students beat the odds and went on to attend some of the best institutions in the country, including the University of Pennsylvania, Wesleyan and Howard.

At the graduation ceremony, parents who hadnt graduated high school were crying and cheering for their children who were. Children who were giving future generations a new standard to aspire to. I also met Girard alumni who have a lasting bond with their high school. The man sitting next to me was a seventysomething Columbia professor who had traveled from New York for the occasion, and he proudly belted out the school song along with the new graduates. He told me hes forever connected to Girard because of the impact the school had on his life.

Commencement speaker Marc Morial, president of the National Urban League, spoke passionately about the wonderful accomplishments of the students, and he talked about the world theyll inherit. He talked about the negativity thats so pervasive in the media. He questioned why a shooting in the neighborhood was more likely to be covered in the news than the annual success of this institution. By the time he was done, the same question was resounding in my head, and I was hoping against hope to see a story about Girards graduation in the news the next day.

But it wasnt to be. None of the news outlets said a word about it. Instead, I was informed of an arrest for shoplifting, an armed robbery and a car crash. Why did students who were beating the odds slip under the radar but a car crash and an arrest didnt? Im not sure, but writing this book is my effort to share more of the stories that matter.

When my wife was sick with leukemia, we spent a lot of time at the hospital, and a patient advocate suggested we create projects to give us purpose and focus during such an emotionally draining experience. So I began writing about the friends, family members and complete strangers who rescued us from that dark time, often with the smallest gestures, and I found that I didnt want to stop. I knew that like Girard College, the world was full of other peoples inspiring stories that didnt make the news, so I sought them out. I scoured the Internet, I talked to people at countless nonprofits and I asked everyone I knew for their stories. And I found what I was looking for.

I found the story of the third-grade teacher who changed a boys life with a simple lesson in shoe-tying. The story about the band of seamstress grandmothers who descend on Philadelphia every week to patch clothesand, in the process, mend heartsfor homeless people. The story of the woman whose decision to make an extra meal to feed someone in need led to a movement thats provided more than sixteen million meals. And so many more about people whose love for others has made a difference in the world.

The heroes in HumanKind dont command an army of helpers or have an abundance of free time. Theyre everyday people who focus on what they can do to make a difference. Their acts of kindness change lives and even save them. These everyday heroes dont just hope the world will get betterthey make it better.

Each chapters conclusion and the Hall of Fame at the end of the book highlight easy ways you can have a meaningful impact. Youll discover where a $195 donation can cure someones blindness and where $500 can pay for a treatment that enables a disabled child to walk. Youll find a dozen ideas, many of which surprised me, that people going through difficult times suggest as the best ways to help them. Youll discover thirteen nonprofits that will forward your letters of encouragement to hospitalized kids, foster youths, recently diagnosed cancer patients, deployed troops and others who will cherish your support. Youll see how buying someone a meal or sharing a few words of encouragement at the right time really can change a life.

I hope HumanKind leaves you feeling grateful for the blessings in your own life. I hope the people you read about also leave you feeling inspired and plant the seeds for more inspiring stories. Stories about the difference