Rarely does a book come along that tackles a perennially difficult human issue with such clarity and intelligence. Harold Kushner, a Jewish rabbi facing his own child's fatal illness, deftly guides us through the inadequacies of the traditional answers to the problem of evil, then provides a uniquely practical and compassionate answer that has appealed to millions of readers across all religious creeds. Remarkable for its intensely relevant real-life examples and its fluid prose, this book cannot go unread by anyone who has ever been troubled by the question, "Why me?"
From Publishers Weekly
When Bad Things Happen to Good People by Harold S. Kushner. Celebrating its 20th anniversary, this book features Rabbi Kushner's perspective on how people can better deal with evil that enters their lives.Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
From AudioFile
Rabbi Kushner delivers his enormously popular work with warm and avuncular aplomb. An old hand at homey sermons, he discusses harrowing personal losses, confronting some of life's biggest challenges. The audiobook's abridgment, however, reduces the helpfulness of the material. The single CD feels more like an introduction to Kushner's humane take on God's intentions when sorrow strikes rather than a usable framework of knowledge. The recording quality is adequate; it's the content that suffers, leaving the listener craving more information. For instance, what about when bad things happen to good self-help books? D.J.B. © AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine
When Bad Things Happen to Good People ANNOTATION
Wise and compassionate advice on how to cope with tragedy, what to do about anger and how to keep from feeling guilty.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
As a Young Theology Student, Harold Kushner puzzled over the Book of Job. As a small-town rabbi he counseled other people through pain and grief. But not until he learned that his three-year-old son, Aaron, would die in his early teens of a rare disease did he confront one of life's most difficult questions: Where do we find the resources to cope when tragedy strikes?
"I knew that one day I would write this book," says Rabbi Kushner. "I would write it out of my own need to put into words some of the most important things I have come to believe and know. And I would write it to help other people who might one day find themselves in a similar predicament. I am fundamentally a religious man who has been hurt by life, and I wanted to write a book that could be given to the person who has been hurt by life, and who knows in his heart that if there is justice in the world, he deserved better... If you are such a person, if you want to believe in God's goodness and fairness but find it hard because of the things that have happened to you and to people you care about, and if this book helps you do that, then I will have succeeded in distilling some blessing out of Aaron's pain and tears."
Since its original publication in 1981, When Bad Things Happen to Good People has brought solace and hope to millions. In his new preface to this anniversary edition, Rabbi Kushner relates the heartwarming responses he has received over the last two decades from people who have found inspiration and comfort within these pages.
FROM THE CRITICS
Elisabeth Kubler-Ross
Offers a moving and humane approach to understanding life's windstorms. It raises many questions that will challenge your mind and test your faith regarding the ultimate questions of life and death.
Norman Cousins
Almost every great novelist has dealt with the theme of inexplicable illness...Harold Kushner deals with this question with deep insight and provides invaluable reassurance.
Norman Vincent Peale
This is a book that all humanity needs. It will help one to understand the painful vicissitudes of this life and stand up to them creatively.
Andrew M. Greeley
A touching, heart-warming book for all those of us who must contend with suffering, and that, of course, is all of us.
Publishers Weekly
When Bad Things Happen to Good People by Harold S. Kushner. Celebrating its 20th anniversary, this book features Rabbi Kushner's perspective on how people can better deal with evil that enters their lives. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING
Offers a moving and humane approach to understanding life's windstorms. It raises many questions that will challenge your mind and test your faith regarding the ultimate questions of life and death. — Elisabeth Kubler-Ross
A touching, heart-warming book for all those of us who mustcontend with suffering, and that, of course, is all of us. — Andrew M. Greeley
This is a book that all humanity needs. It will help one to understand the painful vicissitudes of this life and stand up to them creatively. — Norman Vincent Peale
I knew that one day I would write this book. I would write it out of my own need to put into words some of the most important things I have come to believe and know. And I would write it to help other people who might one day find themselves in a similar predicament. I would write it for an those people who wanted to go on believing, but whose anger at God made it hard for them to hold on to their faith and be comforted by religion. And I would write it for an those people whose love of God and devotion to Him led them to blame themselves for their suffering and persuade themselves that they deserved it. — Harold S. Kushner
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