The Keys to Kindness: How to be Kinder to Yourself, Others and the World

by Claudia Hammond

Overview

A deep-dive into kindness, the science behind it and how we can better build it into our lives, from the author of The Art of Rest

In The Keys to Kindness, Claudia Hammond takes us on an eye-opening tour of kindness: what constitutes kindness (it’s not what you think), effective strategies to build more of it into our lives and the benefits of being kind. She draws on the latest research from psychology and neuroscience, and her work in collaboration with the Universityof Sussex and the BBC, including the largest global survey ever undertaken into attitudes to kindness.

The book is structured around the seven keys of kindness, including:

• There is more kindness in the world that you might think
• Being kind makes you feel good and that’s OK
• Kind people can be winners
• Remember to be kind to yourself

You are kinder than you think, but we could all be kinder still – with enormous benefits for our personal mental health and wellbeing. The Keys to Kindness sets out a prescription for a kinder life that you can adapt to your own circumstances, and explains how to use this guidance for ourselves, others and the world.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781838854447
Publisher:	Canongate Books
Publication date:	05/02/2023
Edition description:	Main
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	5.67(w) x 8.66(h) x (d)

About the Author

Claudia Hammond is an award-winning writer and broadcaster. She is Visiting Professor of the Public Understanding of Psychology at the Universityof Sussex and is the presenter of BBC Radio 4's All in the Mind. She has been awarded the President's Medal from the British Academy, the British Psychological Society's Public Engagement & Media Award, Mind's Making a Difference Award and the British Neuroscience Association's Public Understanding of Neuroscience Award. She is the author of Emotional Rollercoaster, Mind over Money, Time Warped, which won the Aeon Transmission Award and the BPS' Best Popular Science Book Award, and The Art of Rest, which was also shortlisted for the latter and was picked for Waterstones Non-Fiction Book of the Month.

@claudiahammond | claudiahammond.com

Editorial Reviews

02/20/2023

Hammond (The Art of Rest), host of BBC Radio’s All in the Mind, offers a glass-half-full approach to kindness in this enlightening entry. Humans are collectively “kinder than we might think,” she maintains, but everyone can still strive to be more compassionate. Hammond debunks myths about kindness, for instance that the very young lack it—citing experiments in which toddlers help peers complete a task with no benefit to themselves (an especially noteworthy finding, as their brains don’t yet comprehend reciprocity). She also contends that compassionate acts don’t need to involve self-martyrdom, and that kindness confers profound emotional benefits to all involved in the interaction. Hammond’s advice for being kinder includes “truly listening” in conversations, practicing “perspective-taking” (arguing oneself into a different person’s position), and even reading fiction. Self-compassion is also vital, she maintains, as people who are kind to themselves lead more satisfying lives. Hammond strikes a good balance between optimism and a practical awareness of the challenges (for example, social media) to creating a kinder 21st-century society. Even cynics will emerge a little more hopeful. (May)

Publishers Weekly

Claudia Hammond’s books are a solace in troubled times

From the Publisher

At a time when our waking lives appear to be more frantic and distracted than ever before, switching off has never been more of a challenge. The Art of Rest equips us with fresh research and information on how to rest more, and rest better, to get the most out of life. Reading it is a rest itself

MATT HAIG

Hammond valiantly unearths some great nuggets . . . quirky humour and sunny enthusiasm kept me reading

Sunday Times

Claudia Hammond's superb book reminds us of a truth that's too often forgotten: that rest isn't just an indulgence, but an essential part of a life lived well

bestselling author of The 4 Pillar Plan - DR RANGAN CHATTERJEE

A soothing balm for a frazzled generation

author of A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived - ADAM RUTHERFORD

Praise for The Art of Rest: Fascinating, entertaining and lucidly written . . . If we accept that reading is the most restful activity . . . The Art of Rest ought to be equivalent to a scientific siesta. The only trouble is that this outstanding book is far too stimulating to be restful

Observer

A thoughtful and enlightening book, perfectly mixing anecdote and evidence

ROBIN INCE

Not only is The Art of Rest an enjoyable read, touching on scientific evidence in a light, accessible manner, it delivers on its promise too . . . Reading, according to Rest Test participants, is one of the best ways to rest. So if you want to change your 24/7 lifestyle, opening The Art of Rest may well be a good start

New Scientist

A clarion call . . . It reminds us that in these frazzled times, rest is not an indulgence but an essential

Sunday Telegraph

Claudia Hammond has written a handbook on the benefits and keys to kindness [ . . . ] formed by a new, unique study called The Kindness Test, run by her colleagues at the Universityof Sussex, and launched on the BBC. If you've never thought about what kindness means, the results will be as fascinating as they are thought-provoking . . . Full of common sense, gentle wisdom and altruism

Daily Mail

A practical and inspiring book on the benefits of quality downtime and the secrets of how to unwind

Scotsman

The prolific and brilliant Claudia Hammond has done it again, this time with the science of how to make the most of our lives in work, rest and play

author of Extreme Medicine - KEVIN FONG