The War for Kindness: Building Empathy in a Fractured World

Why does Zaki include “war” in the title despite discussing topics like empathy and kindness? Do you think he provides sufficient evidence that a war for empathy and kindness is necessary in the 21st century? Why or why not?

Zaki provides numerous examples of people becoming more empathetic, yet notes “this book will not provide ten simple steps for how to be kinder today” (16). Does this lack of an action plan weaken Zaki’s argument? Why or why not? How would Zaki respond to your claim?

Philosopher Jeremy Rifkin writes, “The most important question facing humanity is this: Can we reach global empathy in time to avoid the collapse of civilization and save the Earth” (10)? How would you answer Rifkin’s question? Would Zaki agree with your assertion? Why or why not?