Those Strangers Who Change a Life

In a fractured world, strangers mend lives. Those Strangers Who Change a Life delves into recent discoveries about kindness and highlights true stories in which anonymous gestures changed everything : a stem cell donor saves a patient, a gang of youths drives off an attacker, an unknown woman pays for someone else's groceries. Drawing on around twenty recent studies, the book reveals how prosocial acts reduce loneliness, improve mental health and slow cognitive decline. It shows that trust in the goodness of others is a better predictor of happiness than high income and that generosity is contagious.The book also proposes strategies for cultivating benevolence : concentrate your acts of kindness, help neighbours or colleagues, share inspiring stories and encourage volunteer programmes. At a time when isolation and anxiety are increasing, it demonstrates that a simple gesture can trigger a cascade of benefits for both giver and receiver.This hard hitting, rigorously documented and example rich read invites everyone to become the stranger who transforms a life. Dare to be kind : you might change someone's life - and your own too.