Who doesn't need a good story about good people. Quick, true, short stories to remind you that good people still exist. These stories are a great distraction from a world that seems awful and depressing most of the time.

Marvelous compilation of true stories of real events by the everyday person. Some sad but many uplifting showing others’ true good spirit. Have to buy this for gifts. Looking forward to another edition of more stories. Can’t wait to recommend this book.

I really enjoyed reading this book by Gabriel Reilich and Lucia Knell. It is accounts of positive things that people are doing. This book grew out of the website upworthy.com. It's uplifting to read about how people around us are still performing acts of kindness each day as sometimes it is easy to get caught up in the negative news cycles and the gloom of day-to-day work and commutes. I would recommend this book to anyone as it would make a great conversation piece or just lift your mood if you are feeling a little down.

Thank you net gallery for the advanced copy of this book. I found it refreshing. There are a multitude of little stories that talk about little good deeds people do. It would make a good present for the holidays.

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley and National Geographic in exchange for an honest review.

A joy of a book, like a warm hug.

The stories are short and sweet and perfect for when you need a feel-good boost. I could return to this over and over again.

A great book of shared, learned and blessed experiences between ordinary people with no expectations. Humanity at its best. Refreshing to have read this book and know about the selflessness of others in current times. Thank you for compiling from diverse sources and varied ages and providing in journalistic style.

I love following Upworthy on Instagram for their inspiring, heartfelt stories. Having a collection of them feels like a gift I can pick up whenever I need a boost of serotonin.

It kind of reminds me of a modern, more detailed version of a book I loved reading as a kid - Chicken Noodle Soup for the Soul. Both give all the warm and fuzzy feelings and hope for humanity you need to keep going.

In a Nutshell: A compilation of some beautiful anecdotes compiled by the good people from the Upworthy site. Offers a bouquet of positive sentiments. Warms the cockles of the heart. Stokes the embers of hope. Revives the spirit of helpfulness. Restores faith in humanity… [You get the drift!]

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Our species vainly calls itself ‘humankind’. (It equally vainly calls itself ‘homo sapiens’ – ‘wise humans’; Hah! – but let's not go there for now.) Lately, whatever we read in the media (physical or virtual) makes us feel like the “kind” part of “humankind” has been forgotten. This book emphasises that the suffix of that abstract noun hasn't faded away.

I hadn’t heard of Upworthy before seeing this book’s blurb, so looking it up online was a joyous endeavour. It seems similar in spirit to ‘The Better India’ and ‘Wholesome Meets the Internet’, both sites I follow for getting my daily dose of positivity in this hate-filled world. Upworthy now gets added to this elite ‘good news’ group. In a world where a majority of people thrive on spreading hatred (and some spreading ONLY hatred for whatever foolish reasons), such little nooks of happiness on the vast internet can make a huge difference to our mental health.

This book contains 101 stories about “good people”. I found 101 the perfect number for two reasons: (1) In India, cash gifts are often given in amounts of a ‘round figure + 1’, such as ₹501 or ₹1001. One of the many reasons for this is the idea of ‘barkat’ – to wish for an abundance of good fortune and blessings on the recipient. As 0 denotes and end and 1 denotes a beginning, it also indicates the hope for more and better – just like this book does. (2) The book has the same aim as the popular ‘Chicken Soup for the Soul’ series, and every Chicken Soup book also has exactly 101 stories. So this is a good way of paying ode to another series that promotes the best of humanity. (Not sure if this was intentional.)

While the Upworthy site contains plenty of heartening stories, the content in this book is completely original and not taken from their site or sm pages. Thus, even if you are a patron, you get new anecdotes in this collection.

The introductory note explains how this book came into being with the help of their followers. Then we get six chapters, each based on a theme such as the kindness of strangers or travel-related tales.

The anecdotes come in two lengths: either as a proper essay or as a small tidbit akin to the little snippets we used to find in Reader’s Digest sections such as ‘Humour in Uniform’ or ‘Laughter is the Best Medicine’. While I liked this dual structure, I wasn’t too happy with the little highlighted sections in the longer articles, the way magazines take a random line and put it in a separate box. It was distracting, and felt redundant.

Every anecdote shared in this book is, at least, good. A majority are great. Many even caused my eyes to recollect the sorrow of chopping onions. There is much comfort, reassurance, hope, inspiration, and goodness in this book. But the best of all is the life lessons. The book proves that helping others doesn't have to be through grandiose gestures. Even tiny offers of assistance mean a ton. (I've experienced this multiple times in my life; little things go a long way.) There are also many stories where the writer is battling life struggles we have been privileged enough to escape. Their bravery in the face of such adversities makes us acknowledge that our crosses are tiny in comparison. The whole experience is overwhelming, in the best way possible.

There are some cute illustrations in between, but even without these, the book would have been a solid rec.

All in all, definitely a good book that would work even better if you don’t read it at a go. (It feels repetitive after a point.) Just open it at random and get your daily fix of positivity. If you are a believer in prayers or affirmations, whisper a blessing for the do-gooders mentioned in the book as and when you read their story. It’s an easy way of paying it forward when the person is unknown to you.

Recommended to nonfiction readers who like true-life positive stories on the lines of ‘Chicken Soup for the Soul’. The coffee table format makes this a wonderful gifting option during the festive season.

4.25 stars.


My thanks to National Geographic for providing the DRC of “Good People: Stories From the Best of Humanity” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

What a wonderful collection of feel good stories. While I’ve followed Upworthy on instagram for years I still enjoyed reading through this collection. A great book to just pick up when you need a little light in your life. Proves that the world is full of good people, you just have to know where fo look.

This is such a heartwarming collection of real-life stories that showcase everyday acts of kindness and compassion. These simple but powerful moments—from a community uniting to find a lost dog to a teacher sharing her lunch with a struggling student—remind readers of the goodness that exists in humanity.

The book emphasizes empathy, connection, and the small but meaningful gestures that restore faith in others, offering a hopeful antidote to negativity. This uplifting collection serves as a gentle reminder to embrace and share kindness.

It will restore your faith in humanity again.

My thanks to NetGalley for the review copy of this book.

Aare you looking to find the good in humanity? Are you looking for the "heroes" Mr. Rogers told us to look for in the every day. This book is full of great stories of everyday heroes that make a difference in the lives of someone. This is a great book full of heartwarming stories. Definitely a book to restore your faith in humanity.

This book of kindness is so important, especially right now.

This book is filled with stories that highlight the best parts of people. It shows how very kind and good people can be, and it shows how much this kindness can positively impact someone's life. The storytellers remember the people who helped them, even years and years later.

This is a book that will hopefully remind people to help each other.

I love following Upworthy on Instagram, so when I saw this book I knew I wanted to read it. Full of short stories of people helping, supporting, and loving others, it reminds you how much good is out there and how sometimes even the smallest act of kindness can change someone's life.

UPWORTHY GOOD PEOPLE by Gabriel Reilich and Lucia Knell hit the spot for me. It's refreshing, unique, inspiring, and heartening. After reading, I took a walk and overheard a woman telling a postal worker about how a stranger found her lost driver's license while she was traveling and returned it. It was a perfect real-life example of the book's message.

The stories in this book showcase the many ways we can support each other and create a more positive world. I'm impressed by the range and depth of examples. This book really reinforces the idea that there's inherent goodness in everyone.

This book is honestly exactly what you would expect it to be: full of happy wholesomeness.

The stories are well-written and come from a diverse selection of individuals. I laughed, I swooned, I cried.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. Reading the short stories of this book was the best way to end the day! Although very different from most books I’ve read and loved, I didn’t devour this in one sitting. Due in part to the formatting of this book, I wanted to savor the happy little stories of Good People every night before drifting off to sleep.

This collection truly touched my heart. Some stories were light and funny, others a little deeper, but all ending with a glimpse of the beautiful, kind and compassionate parts of humanity that make it all worthwhile. Highly recommend keeping this book on your nightstand and sharing a copy with anyone that could use a little reminder of the “warm and fuzzy” that exists out in the world.

*Posted on Goodreads

With so much negativity sounding us, I lunged at the chance to read this book and haven’t stopped singing its praises! Thank you, thank you, thank you to National Geographic and the authors Gabriel Reilich and Lucia Knell for putting this life-affirming book together to show us proof that there are truly still good human beings around us!

“Upworthy Good People” is a compilation of 101 stories of hope, humor, love, courage, and inspiration. Despite what social media and the news tell us, there really are people out there who care, who are kind, and who simply display human decency on a daily basis.

One story in particular from Kelly S. really touched my heart. Kelly told her story about randomly crossing paths with a stranger in the COSTCO parking lot who instantly came to help her without being asked and showed genuine kindness without expecting anything in return. Kelly said the kindness of that stranger in that one moment gave her the courage to finally quit an awful job she had felt stuck in. Wow, right? After finishing the book, I made it a point to join this movement of human decency by keeping a gratitude journal, practicing more patience, compassion and kindness with strangers, and by remembering that I could be that one person who changes someone else’s life for the better.

I strongly recommend this book to every human from age 13 to 100. Not every story may hit home, but that’s not really the point. Without much effort, you should find at least one story that will strike a chord and stir a strong emotion that will cause you to think about yourself and how you treat others. It’s such a profound and inspiring book, that I find myself going back to it again and again for inspiration and hope.

Thank you to NetGalley and National Geographic for the opportunity to read an advanced reader's copy of this book for an honest review.

UPWORTHY GOOD PEOPLE by Gabriel Reilich and Lucia Knell was exactly what I needed to read: bracing, original, motivating, uplifting...then I went for a long walk where a woman related to a postal worker the amazing route her driver's license took when a stranger found it while she was traveling. Long story short, happy ending, faith restored in the fundamental goodness in each one of us. Love, love, love the stories, the breadth and depth and variety of ways we can support one another and enjoy a happier world. I received a copy of this book and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.

4.5 stars

I was unfamiliar with Upworthy prior to this book. The cheerful cover caught my attention and made me interested in reading it. With all that is going on in the world today, we are inundated with bad news. I have been doing what I can to add positivity to my day, and this book is a perfect addition! I like how the book is separated into different categories. I love the fact that it is comprised of short entries, so it is easy to pick up and read a few of them here and there throughout the day. Many of the stories focus on the kindness of strangers, which is a great reminder that there are still good people, willing to help others, in the world, even though they are often overshadowed by other events. There are some stories that do have some topics that could be possibly triggering, so readers may want to approach this with a bit of caution. Overall, this is a much needed dose of positivity in today's society. It may just remind readers the importance of taking a few minutes out of their busy schedules to be kind to others, as it often costs nothing to do so.

This book intends to restore your faith in humanity, and it seems everyone could use a little help with that these days. If you have been around long enough to remember the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, this is a bit reminiscent of those books. There are no fancy literary techniques here, just real-life stories told by the people who lived them, in their own words. All the stories are relatively short, but some are extremely short, while others are much longer. The shortest stories can be read in about a minute, while the longer ones might take closer to fifteen minutes or so for the average reader. Each section designates a theme for the stories collected therein, but all the stories remind us that there are still good people out there doing good in the world, and sometimes it is through the smallest gestures that leave a lifelong impact. I was inspired not only by the thoughtfulness of others but also by the lasting impacts that readers described experiencing following those random acts of kindness. If you need a little boost to your faith in humanity, you will find it here.