Through personal anecdotes, research findings, and practical tips, the authors offer a compelling case for the importance of kindness in fostering empathy, connection, and overall well-being. The book is well-organized and easy to digest, making it suitable for readers of all ages. However, some may find the content to be overly simplistic, lacking in depth and nuance. While the message of spreading kindness is undeniably important, the book could benefit from delving deeper into the complexities of human behavior and societal structures that influence our ability to be kind. Overall, "Be Kind" receives a three-star rating for its inspirational message and accessibility, but falls short in providing deeper insights into the complexities of kindness.

Sadly, I was unable to download this book in time before it was archived and this I was not able to either read or review it. My apologies.

This book is a week by week guide to inviting more kindness into your life by doing small acts of kindness and being mindfull about your thoughts and deeds. It has stories, quotes, and activites each week to keep you motivated.

It's a great book to keep on your nightsand to revisit throughout the week and to check in with the next week's entry whenever your week starts.

I read it straight through for review purposes but will be revisiting it throughout the year. Especially in our current climate, I think we could all benefit from a little bit more kindness in our lives.

Be Kind: A Year of Kindness, One Week at a Time is a tutorial and action guide arranged around week by week prompts for changing our interactions and lifestyle over the course of a year of actively choosing to be kind. Released 14th April 2020 by Quarto on their Rock Point imprint, it's 240 pages and available in hardcover and ebook formats.

This is a beautifully written book. I personally have curtailed much of my interaction with the outside world because it's so distressing and violent (and in a pandemic, dangerous). Everything I see on TV/media/facebook is more hostile, ignorant, mean spirited, hateful, spiteful, and awful. The authors have written a book with a sensible and realistic plan including exercises which will create ripples of kindness and positivity and not least, make us, ourselves, happier and more content.

The introduction (which includes some short and general discussion of the physiological and mental benefits of altruism) is followed by a week by week spread, arranged in a 4 page layout with a three main themes: reflect, do, and learn, appealing pastel graphics (I want this as stationery or a bullet journal color scheme). The lessons and guidance are short and easy to understand and digest. There's quite a lot to process and assimilate.

I think that using this book over a long period of time (months to a year) and actively trying to incorporate kindness in our day to day lives has the potential to make a profound difference.

Five stars

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

As someone who's been trying to make more space for kindness, this book was really helpful. Gave useful, week-to-week strategies for showing others compassion and letting go of barriers that might be limiting a person's kindness.

This book is perfect for anyone who would like to take simple steps to add kindness to their lives. The consistent weekly format used by the authors - Learn, Reflect, Do - means that each week you can learn something about kindness, read a short account from someone who has experienced that type, and then go forward and perform an act. The writings are brief and easy to follow, and the simple structure makes this a great book to add to your own busy life.

'Be Kind: A Year of Kindness, One Week at a Time' - this was a lovely book based on a clear edict of 'Learn, Reflect, Do,' for 52 weeks of the year, accompanied by real life examples and inspirational quotes. It's not too wordy, enabling a clear, concise message which is easily understood, making it easier to follow through with actions. The use of different fonts gives the illusion of someone writing directly to the reader as a friend.
This is an accessible book with a message for us all; Be Kind!
4 stars.

I received an advanced reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

This is a beautiful book that reminds us and teaches us what kindness is all about and how there are so many different ways to be kind and show kindness.
This book has a section for every week of the year and has some beautiful quotes and some really good activities within it to help you practice kindness and be more active in community-based kindness as well as self kindness and kindness towards others.
I really enjoyed this book.

This valuable book is part of a nonprofit organization called kindness.org. Be Kind challenges the reader to try an act of kindness every week for a year, benefiting others and yourself while deepening connections in your community.

Each of the 52 weeks of kindness includes story of inspiration, along with your challenge. A key fact is that kindness improves the well-being of both the giver and the receiver.

Listed below are subjects of the acts included.

Kindness toward those around you (service workers, colleagues, neighbors)
Kindness to self
Kindness with kids
Kindness as a group
Kindness to the environment
Cyber-kindness
I was granted the ARC of this book and I must warn that it is rather difficult to read online. It is a very colorful book where the pages might be colored lime green with a different shade of green for the text.

I will be ordering my own personal copy of this guide to kindness so I too can reach out to the world one week at a time.

Be Kind: A Year of Kindness One Week at a Time is by Melissa Burmester and Jaclyn Lindsey, the founders of Kindness.org.  The book is based on their mission to "educate and inspire people to choose kindness."

The book is divided into 52 weeks, and for each week there's something to learn, do, and reflect on. There are quotes, research findings, Q&A's, and stories submitted to Kindness.org, and the targets of kindness include the self, others, and the planet. 

Some of the kind actions suggested were giving blood, responding with kindness to a negatve post online, and letting a stranger go ahead of you in line.  My favourite quote in the book was "if you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else" (Booker T. Washington).  And did you know that spending money on others lowers blood pressure and brings greater happiness than spending money on yourself?

The book has beautiful watercolour backgrounds, so it's aesthetically pleasing as well as having inspirational content.  It would make a lovely gift.


I received a reviewer copy of this book from www.netgalley.com.

This was such a lovely book! I may purchase one for myself and several as gifts. This book is laid out in 1-week chapters - they list a kindness goal, an associated story and quote with brief statements about the scientific benefits of kindness. The colors and fonts are gorgeous. I highly recommend Be Kind!

Thank you, Quarto Publishing Group and NetGalley, for a digital ARC!

I believe being kind to others in some small, unexpected way, should be part of each and every day for everyone. It would totally change our perceptions about personal interactions and the ripple effect of it would certainly make the world a much nicer and happier place. This book will help you achieve that.

Follow this book from cover to cover, whether reading it through or taking one week at a time, or dip into it as you please, the important thing is that you open the book and act on it.

Written in a learn (the reader is given a piece of relevant scientific research), reflect (via an anecdotal story or a quote), and do (suggested actions) format, the reader is given everything they need to become an advocate and example of kindness.

Its theme as well as its pleasing look makes this appropriate for gift-giving.

It's rather sad that we need books to tell us to be kind, but this book will educated you on how the act of simply being kind will benefit you and others immensely.

My thanks to NetGalley and Rock Point for allowing me to read an ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
I received the ebook version of this book and I imagine the actual book will be very nice. The colors and script were pleasant. This book is meant to be read throughout the year, with 1 part read per week. Lots of great ideas and interviews on kindness and how we can do even small things to be kind to one another.

I received an e-version of this book, I think if I had received it as an actual book, I would have thought it was beautiful. I really like the colours, style and layout. It is meant to be followed for a year, week by week. However, I think once you have completed it, it would still be a good reference book to dip into to be reminded of how to be kind.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

This book needs to be a calendar or a planner ASAP! I was obsessed with everything that was in this book and would recommend this to anyone and everyone. There’s even a cool checklist at the end of the book that are great habits. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This book is meant to be read and worked through over a year's time. Reading an e-arc, I obviously didn't read it in the manner intended but I think those who do will be impacted greatly.

Really, really lovely book with many inspiring ideas and a look at research around kindness. It will be useful for World Kindness Day, and it's a good book to keep around for browsing as well.

I really took this book to heart, it really spoke to me. The author was knowledgeable and had such good advice. It makes you look at it with a different perspective.

This is a lovely little gem of a book. I loved the style, layout and graphics. We could all do with a prompt of being kinder from time to time.

Really loved the quotes and descriptions and the week by week 'do and learn'. Very easy to follow and to incorporate into your day.

Thank y0u Quarto Publishing and NetGalley.

Be Kind by Jaclyn Lindsey and Melissa Burmester is a book that guides the reader through fifty-two weeks of kindness. This colorful and happy book is set up by week with three straightforward sections: learn, reflect, do. Each section has its own page in the book with quotes, information, and tasks for the reader. Readers will embark on a wonderful yearlong journey of kindness and love using this book.