NPR

'A War For Kindness' Favors The Practical Over Polemical

If you want a clarion call to action, Jamil Zaki's new book might not be it. But if you want a wide-ranging practical guide to making the world better, then you're in luck.
<em>The War For Kindness: Building Empathy in a Fractured World</em>, by Jamil Zaki

A war for kindness would be a non-violent war for hearts and minds. And since empathy is really a union of heart and mind, fellow feeling in the service of understanding, internal struggle and social complication are inevitable. Empathy can't happen without them.

I had high hopes for Jamil Zaki's The War for Kindness: Building Empathy in a Fractured World. But after reading, I was left ambivalent.

Let me say at the outset that there's a lot to recommend in Zaki's approach. He demonstrates empathy to be something one can develop. He writes about

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR4 min read
Magic, Secrets, And Urban Legend: 3 New YA Fantasy Novels To Read This Spring
A heist with a social conscience, a father using magic for questionable work, an urban legend turned sleepover dare: These new releases explore protagonists embracing the magic within themselves.
NPR3 min readWorld
The Eurovision Song Contest Kicked Off With Pop And Protests
Performers representing countries across Europe and beyond took the stage in the first of two Eurovision semifinals in the Swedish city of Malmo, against a backdrop of both parties and protests.
NPR4 min read
A Lawmaker With A Brain Disease Used Voice Assist To Back Her Bill On The House Floor
Rep. Jennifer Wexton of Virginia was diagnosed last year with rare disease that makes it hard to speak. She still advocated for a bill renaming a post office in her district – and the House passed it.

Related Books & Audiobooks