World Kindness Day

Be A Good in The World
365 Days of Good Deeds, Inspired Ideas and Acts of Kindness

Brenda Knight

Author Brenda Knight, part of the team who made the world a better place with Random Acts of Kindness as well as a little more thankful with The Grateful Table, writes “At the end of life, I feel sure having lots of money, fancy cars and real estate is not nearly as important as how much love you gave to the world.” This realization was the inspiration for Be a Good In the World, a book of ‘good days’ filled with ideas for making a difference.

Chicken Soup for The Soul
Random Acts of Kindness

Compiled by Amy Newmark

The best way to make yourself feel great? Do a random act of kindness for someone! These 101 stories will make you smile and get you excited about what you can do, too.

Make miracles happen for yourself and others. It’s easy. Just think outside the box and look around. There are so many ways that you can help—and it turns out the biggest beneficiary may be you! Scientific studies have shown that “doing good” is not only good for the recipient of the good deed, but also for the person doing it, making that person happier and healthier.

So dive into these 101 stories of kindness, from the everyday to the extraordinary. If you need some help, you’ll find hope in these pages. And if you can give help, you’ll feel energized and inspired to find your own opportunities to perform random acts of kindess—every day!

Congratulations, By the Way
Some Thoughts on Kindness

George Saunders

Drawing on his well-received convocation address at Syracuse University, one of today’s most influential and original writers shows how to lead a kinder, more fulfilling life.

Dare to Be Kind
How Extraordinary Compassion Can Transform Our World

Lizzie Velasquez with Catherine Avril Morris

The author shares her experiences in being bullied because of her unusual appearance caused by a medical condition, and uses them to explore the causes behind cruelty and how they can be redirected to produce kindness and improve the world.

The Day the World Came to Town
9/11 In Gander, Newfoundland

Jim Defede

When 38 jetliners bound for the United States were forced to land at Gander International Airport in Canada by the closing of U.S. airspace on September 11, the population of this small town on Newfoundland Island swelled from 10,300 to nearly 17,000. The citizens of Gander met the stranded passengers with an overwhelming display of friendship and goodwill.

How to Be A Better Person
400+ Simple Ways to Make A Difference in Yourself—And the World

Kate Hanley

This fun, enlightening book features 300 everyday activities to help you become a better person and make a positive impact on the people around you.

How to Be a Better Person is a unique and practical guide that can help you easily turn your good intentions into meaningful actions. Each activity serves as a daily inspiration for you to make a positive impact in your home, community, and relationships. With exercises designed to foster cheerfulness, kindness, generosity, gratitude, acceptance and inclusion, integrity, and honesty, you can learn how easy it is to be the person you’ve always wanted to be.

How to Raise Kind Kids
And Get Respect, Gratitude, And A Happier Family in The Bargain

Thomas Lickona

As our culture grows ever more abrasive and divided, we all want our kids to be kind. But that is not the same as knowing what to do when you catch your son being unkind.

A world-renowned developmental psychologist, Dr. Thomas Lickona has led the character education movement in schools for forty years. Now he shares with parents the vital tools they need to bring peace and foster cooperation at home. Kindness doesn’t stand on its own. It needs a supporting cast of other essential virtues—like courage, self-control, respect, and gratitude. With concrete examples drawn from the many families Dr. Lickona has worked with over the years and clear tips you can act on tonight, learn how to give and get respect, hold family meetings to tackle persistent problems, discipline in a way that builds character, and improve the dynamic of your relationship with your children while putting them on the path to a happier and more fulfilling life.

Humankind
A Hopeful History

Rutger Bregman

It’s a belief that unites the left and right, psychologists and philosophers, writers and historians. It drives the headlines that surround us and the laws that touch our lives. From Machiavelli to Hobbes, Freud to Dawkins, the roots of this belief have sunk deep into Western thought. Human beings, we’re taught, are by nature selfish and governed by self-interest.

Humankind makes a new argument: that it is realistic, as well as revolutionary, to assume that people are good. The instinct to cooperate rather than compete, trust rather than distrust, has an evolutionary basis going right back to the beginning of Homo sapiens. By thinking the worst of others, we bring out the worst in our politics and economics too.

Kindness and Wonder
Why Mister Rogers Matters Now More Than Ever

Gavin Edwards

For more than thirty years, Fred Rogers was a beloved fixture in American homes. Warm and welcoming, he spoke directly to children—and their parents—about the marvels of the world, the things that worried them, and above all, the importance of being themselves. Dressed in his cardigan and sneakers, Fred Rogers offered a wholesome message of generosity and love that changed the landscape of television and shaped a generation of children.

Kindness and Wonder pays tribute to this cultural icon: the unique, gentle man who embodied the best of what we could be. Looking back at the history of the show and the creative visionary behind it, pop culture aficionado Gavin Edwards reminds us of the indelible lessons and insights that Mister Rogers conveyed—what it means to be a good person, to be open-hearted, to be thoughtful, to be curious, to be compassionate—and why they matter.

The Kindness Cure
How the Science of Compassion Can Heal Your Heart & Your World

Tara Cousineau, PhD

Psychologist Tara Cousineau draws on cutting-edge research in psychology and neuroscience to show how compassion and empathy are hardwired into our DNA and essential to our survival. This book teaches effective skills in compassion, mindfulness, and social and emotional learning, and reveals successful social policy initiatives in empathy taking place that inform everything from family life to education to the workplace.

The Kindness Diaries
One Man’s Quest to Ignite Goodwill and Transform Lives Around the World

Leon Logothetis

The incredible journey of one man who sets out to circumnavigate the globe on a vintage motorbike fueled by kindness.

The Language of Kindness
A Nurse’s Story

Christie Watson

A memoir about the experiences of a nurse in London, focusing on the overlooked importance of kindness and compassion.

Loving-Kindness in Plain English
The Practice of Metta

Bhante Henepola Gunaratana

With his signature clarity and warmth, Bhante Gunaratana shares with us how we can cultivate loving-kindness to live a life of joyful harmony with others. Through personal anecdotes, step-by-step meditations, conversational renderings of the Buddha’s words in the suttas, and transformative insights into how we live in and relate to the world, we learn that peace here and now is possible—within ourselves and in all our relationships. Bhante G speaks directly to how we can cultivate loving-kindness to find emotional clarity, overcome anger, and become more peaceful—both on and off the meditation cushion.

On Kindness

Adam Phillips and Barbara Taylor

Kindness is the foundation of the world’s great religions and most-enduring philosophies. Why, then, does being kind feel so dangerous? If we crave kindness with such intensity, why is it often the last pleasure we permit ourselves? And why―despite our longing―are we often suspicious when we are on the receiving end of it?

Drawing on intellectual history, literature, psychoanalysis, and contemporary social theory, this brief and essential book will return to its readers what Marcus Aurelius declared was mankind’s “greatest delight”: the intense satisfactions of generosity and compassion.

The Power of Kindness
The Unexpected Benefits of Leading A Compassionate Life

Piero Ferrucci

The Power of Kindness is a stirring examination of a simple but profound concept. Piero Ferrucci, one of the world’s most respected transpersonal psychologists, explores the many surprising facets of kindness and argues that it is this trait that will not only lead to our own individual happiness and the happiness of those around us, but will guide us in a world that has become cold, anxious, difficult, and frightening.

Piero Ferrucci warns against the dangers of “global cooling.” As the pace of living grows faster and the impact of new technologies more insistent, communications become hurried and impersonal. The drive for profit overrides the heart. Warmth and genuine presence fade.

Radical Kindness
The Life-Changing Power of Giving and Receiving

Angela C. Santomero

Angela C. Santomero, the creator, executive producer, and head writer of many of today’s most popular educational children’s shows, believes in the radical power of kindness—on her shows, and in her life. Inspired by her mentor Fred Rogers, beloved host of the classic, award-winning PBS show Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, Angela has dedicated her life to teaching others that when you treat yourself and others with warmth, empathy, and respect, life changing benefits follows.

Tiny Buddha’s 365 Tiny Love Challenges

Lori Deschene

From the founder of the popular online community Tiny Buddha.com comes a daily inspirational guide of simple and creative challenges to help you actively spread love to those around you.

Tiny Buddha’s 365 Days of Tiny Love Challenges is a simple guide to help readers pursue happy, connected lives and bring greater love into the world. Each week begins with an inspirational message written by members of the TinyBuddha.com online community, followed by seven days of short challenges that focus on self-love, giving and receiving love in relationships and friendships, and spreading love in the world.

All Kinds of Kindness

Judy Carey Nevin

There is so much kindness in the world and this sweet board book celebrates those special differences that make kind acts both individual and similar. Judy Carey Nevin’s bouncing text paired with Susie Hammer’s bright, brilliant art showcases a creative look at how important kindness can be. From optimistic ideas of hope to small acts of goodwill, each scene shares the heart of the story: kindness makes our world a better place.”

Finding Kindness

Deborah Underwood

Celebrate kindness in all its many forms. This is a powerful story of community, compassion, and generosity of spirit―perfect for sharing!

The Kindness Book

Todd Parr

Looks at different ways to show kindness, including choosing kind words, giving compliments, and offering help without being asked.

Kindness Is Cooler, Mrs. Ruler

Margery Cuyler

Mrs. Ruler guides her students in discovering ways of being kind to their family members, their community, and each other. When Mrs. Ruler asks five of her kindergartners to miss recess, she’s got a special plan up her sleeve. She’s about to teach a new golden rule: Kindness is cool! Soon the entire class is doing so many good deeds that their kindness bulletin board barely fits their classroom! From clearing the table after dinner, to helping the elderly, one kindergarten class is proving that kids really can make a difference. Count along with Mrs. Ruler’s class. Can all their good deeds really add up to 100 acts of kindness?

Kindness Makes Us Strong

Sophie Beer

This board book shows various children as they extend kindness in all kinds of situations: on the playground, at lunchtime, on a bike path, and on a neighborhood street.

Kindness Rules!

Eunice Moyle and Sabrina Moyle

From remembering to say please and thank you to standing up for the little guy, this book is a funny, playful new look at manners and why they matter.

Pete The Cat’s Groovy Guide to Kindness
Tips from A Cool Cat on How to Be Kind

Kimberly & James Dean

A collection of quotes by famous notables, including Henry James, Booker T. Washington, and Judy Blume, echoes Pete the Cat’s thoughts on kindness.

The Power of One
Every Act of Kindness Counts

Trudy Ludwig

When one child reaches out in friendship to a classmate who seems lonely, she begins a chain reaction of kindness that ripples throughout her school and her community.”

Try A Little Kindness

Henry Cole

It’s fun to be kind! Our funny animal friends show us how to be kind to each other. Be a great ally. Hold the door for a friend. Try a little kindness today, and you will feel so much, much better!

What Does It Mean to Be Kind?

Rana Diorio

Teaches children about what it means to be kind by discussing the importance of caring, patience, forgiveness and acceptance, giving children and adults alike the opportunity to live more fully and richly.

You Are My Friend
The Story of Mister Rogers and His Neighborhood

Aimee Reid

Mister Rogers is one of the most beloved television personalities ever, but before he was the man who brought us “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood”, he was just little Freddie Rogers. You Are My Friend tells how Fred was a sickly and lonely child. At school, he was bullied and had trouble making friends and expressing his feelings. His parents and grandparents encouraged Fred to ask for help and explore his world. When Fred grew up he became a champion of compassion, equality, and kindness, and he realized that he could spread his message through television. His simple message still resonates with us today: ‘There’s no person in the world like you and I like you just the way you are.’ Outside of recent news, You Are My Friend will endure because of its smart writing, focus, and gentle homage to a very popular, kind, understated, good soul and role model.