Be the Good: Becoming a Force for a Better World

From former international river guide and best-selling author Ken Streater comes an inspiring book that “had me from the nuclear missile opening to tear-jerker movie close. It offers practical wisdom on how to be a better person—and a happier one. Streater is a skillful navigator of the tricky terrain of good, and his timing is exquisite.” (Jonathan Alter, NY Times best-selling author, senior editor of Newsweek magazine, and Emmy Award-winning journalist)

There is far more good in the world than you and I are led to believe. This uplifting and poignant book tells stories of open hearts and kindness in communities from Alaska to Zimbabwe. Each chapter shares an idea, a simple action step, that you can take in order to make your life and those around you better. These ideas were gleaned from experts and ordinary folk, wise elders and energetic youngsters, from humble people, and heart-driven cultures across the globe. They highlight the immeasurable positive impact that we each can have on others.

These are divisive times-if we allow them to be. We don’t need to conclude that someone’s perspective is a reflection of faulty character or a diabolic soul, when it is simply a different perception about community or country or weather. We need not harshly label or yell at each other billions of times a day. That screeches the opportunity to see goodness to a halt. When we see and do good things, we are changed-even if only in that moment. Our gentler nature arises. Each of us individually can build more compassionate cultures. In doing so, we create societies that flourish rather than decay.

As described by Thupten Jinpa, founder of the Compassion Institute, best-selling author, and principal English translator to the Dalai Lama, “Now, more than ever, there is a need for people to connect with their better selves and view others and the world through the lenses of shared humanity. Be the Good helps us do this and act from such awareness with action steps that can easily be put into effect right now.”