New Consciousness Review Winter 2016 | Page 12

INSPIRATION HEALTH REVIEW The Power of Kindness The Unexpected Benefits of Leading A Compassionate Life W By Piero Ferrucci hat if I said you have the power to transform your life and the lives of others, and it doesn’t cost a cent? What if I said the heart has its own concept of time, that you are “rich in hours and days,” as psychotherapist Piero Ferrucci states, and have more freedom and space to breathe than you think? And what if I said the key to all of the above is kindness? Setting aside the health benefits of being kind to ourselves, others, and the planet, kindness is a problem-solver, a way to unite people, a reason humans thrive, and something we were designed to do. So why read a book about it? Because for many, the vulnerability of being kind is difficult. Because we live in an “Ice Age of the heart,” as Ferucci puts it, less in touch than we were before cell phones, email, 60-hour work weeks, and the fragmentation of families. Because many are lonely, anxious, or depressed. Because we need to remember, in spite of what the media leads us to believe, there is more good in the world than not. When The Power of Kindness first appeared in 2006, the rep from the publishing company raved about it, encouraging me to order several copies. I did, and it sold well, but I never got around to reading the book. I’m already kind, I thought, and didn’t need the information. With the release of the 10th anniversary edition, I felt compelled to crack the spine. “In this exciting but dangerous moment of human history,” Ferruc- 12 | New Consciousness Review cci says, “kindness is not a luxury, it is a necessity.” As I read the nineteen facets that make up this necessity, such as honesty, warmth, and a sense of belonging, my heart relaxed. Here is a book of hope, of wisdom, of healing. The author uses personal anecdotes, spiritual stories, and philosophical ideas to illustrate the power of kindness. This edition includes a new chapter, introduction, and selection of exercises. Tarcher Perigee, 2016  Reviewed by Diane Holcomb, East West Bookshop