The Hidden Gifts of Helping

January 10, 2011
Post (When Good Things Happen to Good People), president of the Institute for Research on Unlimited Love, pens a hopeful text for hopeless times. His own job loss forced him and his family to relocate in 2008, and he writes poignantly of what he's personally lived through. No stranger to the emotional and spiritual difficulties that accompany any major life change, the author shares intimately how he put into practice the biblical principle of "giving unto others" as he worked through his own grief, sorrow, and loss during the transition that uprooted his family. The lessons Post learned make up this practical resource that urges purposeful giving, even while feeling the stings of disappointment and hardship. Post's work is more than a feel-good read. It's today's handbook for survival.

January 1, 2011

Post (preventive medicine; director, Ctr. for Medical Humanities, Stony Brook Univ.), president of the Institute for Research on Unlimited Love, recommends, in his latest book, selflessness for selfish reasons--that is, he extols the health benefits of altruism not just for the receiver, but for the giver as well. Giving, claims Post, extends life span, relieves stress, improves mental health, and helps the heart. VERDICT Post's work is a welcome antidote to the contracted thinking of a recession and should be welcomed by church groups and charitable organizations as well as Christian readers.

Copyright 2011 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2011
Helping others may actually benefit the helpers more than the persons receiving help, or so insists author Post, president of the Institute for Research on Unlimited Love and a professor of preventive medicine at Stony Brook University. Helping triggers the release of chemicals in the brain that provide a sense of well-being, what Post calls the givers glow. That sensation reduces stress and may actually help people to live longer and lead more rewarding lives. Post, who lost his job and was forced to relocate his family, makes a strong case for how helping others enabled him and his family to adjust to life in a new place. His book lists numerous other examples of people bringing harmony to their own lives by giving to others: Hurricane Katrina volunteers, individuals living with disabilities helping children with disabilities, and knitters who produce items for cancer patients. Volunteerism is on the rise, Post says, and it may just be the thing to bring us through these hard economic times. Informative and inspiring.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)