Hello, and thank you in advance for reading this book. It’s about the experiment I undertook after I decided that I would do a kind thing for a stranger every single day for a year.

This story I’m about to tell is a pretty messy one. Some of it is sad. Some of it is joyful. Bits are funny, silly, surprisingly, unlikely and infuriating. Some parts might irritate you. Sometimes the protagonist (me) is annoying and makes very bad choices. But along the way I have conversations with many wonderful people, for whom kindness is at the centre of their work and lives. These scientists, artists, activists, and academics have helped me dive deeper into what kindness is and the real power it holds. They have helped me to answer the question at the heart of all of this: ‘Can kindness really change our lives – and the world around us – for the better?’

Praise for How to Be Hopeful:
‘The perfect book for troubling times. The ideas and exercises in How to Be Hopeful will soothe your soul.’ KATHERINE MAY, author of Wintering
‘Delightful and informative... the toolkit to ignite hope in each of us.’ JULIA SAMUEL, author of Grief Works