Why Good Things Happen to Good People: How to live a longer, healthier, happier life by the simple act of giving

"Giving is the most potent force on the planet," asserts Stephen Post, a bioethicist, founder of the Institute for Research on Unlimited Love and co-author with Jill Neimark of Why Good Things Happen to Good People. The book explores 10 different ways in which you can give.

Each chapter is packed with stories and anecdotes from academics and noteworthy friends of the authors. There is also plenty of research-based evidence to support the case that giving is not only good for the receiver, but also benefits the giver. The authors cite many studies, for example one study shows that people who are giving during their school years have better physical and mental health throughout their entire lives. Other studies show that older people who give live longer than those who don’t give.

The book is also a self-help manual, each chapter ends with a self-review questionnaire for the reader who wants to assess how they measure up on each of the 10 items on the giving scales. There are also lists of practical actions you could take to improve your own wellbeing through acts of giving. This aspect is somewhat gimmicky and adds little to the overall flow and sense of the book. The science in the book is compelling. Who wouldn’t want to live a longer happier life in a happier world?

Reviewed by Belinda Sharp, an Organisational Development Specialist with Barnardos New Zealand