Congratulations, by the way: Some Thoughts on Kindness

Luminous! Simple and to the point. A short essay to make you a better person. A good lesson for graduates.

This speech-turned-book is short, but that's the point: it's easy to revisit as often as you need to remind yourself of its key points. It's accessible and powerful, and this is the second copy I've bought after I gave away the first. Would highly recommend it for younger kids too, so they get the lesson early in life. Great book.

This is a bound and published edition of Saunders' commencement speech at Syracuse University in 2013. You could certainly complain that it's not really a "book", that it was originally published in the New York Times, and that it is very brief. But it's worth reading. What advice do you give to graduating students? Often it's about how to succeed in the world -- e.g., find something you love to do and do it. And there have been memorable commencement speeches of that type. Some go beyond that, e.g., the speech that Steve Jobs gave to graduating Stanford students in 2005. Saunders gives a very simple message -- be kind. He asks himself what he regrets in his own life, from the vantage point of decades that the students he is talking to haven't experienced yet. And the thing that he identifies is his indifference toward a girl in his school when he was young. He wasn't mean to her, but he ignored her when she needed kindness. I can certainly think of the missed opportunities in my life when I wasn't kind to someone -- it would have taken so little. My life won't be any the less for having missed that last jump shot in the final seconds of a basketball game. It will be less for having turned away from someone who I could have helped have a better life. Few of us can say that we've kept the right balance of self-interest and kindness. I've read criticisms of Saunders' speech, that he ignores the material difficulties facing students who graduate from college today, with poor employment opportunities and often carrying heavy college loan debts on into their distant futures. I would imagine those things weigh more heavily on their minds than whether or not they are kind persons. But Saunders' message is one from a vantage point he knows is decidedly not that of his audience but one he feels they could profit from -- it is better to decide what matters in your life before you are looking back on it. I'd give the book 5 stars for content, but I'm giving it 4 as a "product" -- the speech itself is (and should be) available for free in a number of places, including video. I bought the book because . . . well, I buy George Saunders' books. I do like the idea that others have mentioned, of giving the book as a gift.

I was looking for this George Saunders book, after reading about it in the Wall Street Journal, as an inspirational gift for the young graduate (in this case high school). It is a lovely little book beautifully illustrated and contains "Some Thoughts On Kindness". Great book,excellent gift. I chose this company-MORECULTURE4LESS-because of their comparatively reasonable price and good shipping rate. The 'bubble wrapped' package arrived at the designated time stated when ordered. The book was as expected: new & unused. I am very pleased with the MORECULTURE4LESS Company and will definitely purchase from this company again. I am a very satisfied customer. Sincerely, V. Wallace

George Saunders is a professor of English at Syracuse University and a writer of short stories, essays, novellas and children's books. His writing has appeared in The New Yorker and Harper's, among other publications. In 2013, Saunders delivered the convocation speech at Syracuse University for the class of 2013, and shared it with The New York Times where it was reprinted with his permission. In April of 2014 the speech was published by Random House in this little book. Mr. Saunders argues that "as a goal in life, you could do worse than: Try to be kinder." He understands that we all have ambitions for fame, fortune and love but urges us as much as possible to: "err in the direction of kindness. Do those things that incline you toward the big questions, and avoid the things that would reduce you and make you trivial." Although the entire graduation speech appears in The New York Times, the book is beautifully produced. The speech takes only about 15 minutes to read but each word carries weight and meaning. It is a speech to savor and re-read often. Although the speech is available online, I recommend buying the book. But in any event, the speech is absolutely worth reading.

And focused on the importance of kindness. We'll worth reading and applying! I cannot remember any advice when I graduated from college, but would definitely remember this practical advice.

I line the little book. Gifting for High School graduates. Importance of kindness.

A very brief 10 minute read, but it is lovely. It's a great graduation gift for high school and college students.

The bible of young graduates particularly in our times when kindness is scarce !

Il saggio è piacevole, interessante e graficamente curioso, ma la versione Kindle è troppo costosa. Si tratta di 60 pagine di cui solo la metà sono scritte, le altre illustrazioni elementari.

Liked the concept of kindness growing with age Disliked any real meat in the book cover - no tools for increasing kindness. Not worth paying money for a short dissertation such as this.

良いメッセージと思いますが、短い読み物で、分量の割には高いと感じました。

I've recommended this fine little book to others. Any one who is interested in a little book as a gift. this is it.