Emerging from suggestions of book clubs, community partners and library staff, the overarching theme for One Book, One Community 2011 will be rediscovering kindness and civility in an era when they frequently appear to be forgotten. How do we define these concepts in the modern world?
We are seeking book title suggestions in keeping with this theme. Post your thoughts as a comment below.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
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One book title for next year's One Book One Community theme is It is well with my soul : the extraordinary life of a 106-year-old woman / Ella Mae Cheeks Johnson with Patricia Mulcahy. She talks about being a good Samaritan and her life, travels and different faiths that she learned about on her journeys.
The first book that comes to mind is "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett. Although it is set in the past many of the characters struggle with their own definitions of civility and kindness. However the book has been so widely read, readers may not want to revisit it in 2011.
Joan Medlicott's "The Ladies of Covington Send their Love" comes to mind.
The Soloist by Steve Lopez
The Little Prince (Antoine De Sait-Exupery) is such an innocent story of kindnes & being open to different perspectives / tolerence without being heavy-handed.
I too thought of The Little Prince, a work that can be read and examined on a number of levels.
Oprah invited Dr. P.M. Forni, author of Choosing Civility: The Twenty-five Rules of Considerate Conduct, to her show in 2008. The discussion was on the importance of civility in today's world, especially the workplace and the Internet.
Dr. Forni is on the faculty at Johns Hopkins University and is an affordable speaker. He is highly recommended by Duquesne faculty.--Laverna Saunders
The Power of Kindness: The Unexpected Benefits of Leading a Compassionate Life By Piero Ferrucci
From Publishers Weekly
Kindness is synonymous with mental health," writes Ferrucci, whose belief that kindness benefits both the giver and the receiver informs this study. Honesty, forgiveness, trust and humility are among the qualities that make up kindness. Italian psychotherapist Ferrucci (What Our Children Teach Us), who writes in a soothing, humane manner, studied with psychiatrist Roberto Assagiolli, founder of psychosynthesis, a school that focuses on spiritual growth and positive qualities such as faith and joy. Laced with stories from religion and philosophy, anecdotes from patients and personal experience, the book explores how Ferrucci's ideas can be applied to everyday life. In "Forgiveness," he describes how a Holocaust survivor was able to forgive those who murdered his family and explains that forgiveness is the only remedy for unspeakable suffering. In the section on service, he suggests small ways one can benefit the lives of others, such as telling a joke to lift a friend's spirits or offering to make dinner for someone who needs time to rest. Ferrucci offers a fine reminder of how good, and how easy, it is to be kind. (Aug.)
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Baldwin patrons suggest One Good Dog by Susan Wilson or Breathless by Dean Koontz
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