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Human(kind): How Reclaiming Human Worth and Embracing Radical Kindness Will Bring Us Back Together
A talented storyteller and peacemaker asks: Can kindness kindle a revolution?
"Ashlee teaches by example how to live with courage and compassion, and I believe her perspective and voice will be deeply meaningful to so many people."--Shauna Niequist
Long before polls, protests, and political issues divided us, we were joined by a humanness that God considered very good. Created in his image, we reflected the height and depth of God's loving-kindness, but our discord has blinded us to the imago Dei in us all.
In this compelling collection of essays, Ashlee Eiland shares her story of being a black woman living on two sides of the fence: as the token black girl in majority-white spaces and as the "whitewashed" black girl in majority-black spaces. As she discovers her own unique worth through these recollections, Ashlee learns that extending radical kindness toward every person--regardless of social status, political views, or religious beliefs--gives us hope and rekindles our common humanity.
With grace and humility, Human(Kind) invites us to chart our own formative journeys and recognize our inherent value, cultivating empathy so we may once again see the image of God shining brightly within one another.
"Ashlee teaches by example how to live with courage and compassion, and I believe her perspective and voice will be deeply meaningful to so many people."--Shauna Niequist
Long before polls, protests, and political issues divided us, we were joined by a humanness that God considered very good. Created in his image, we reflected the height and depth of God's loving-kindness, but our discord has blinded us to the imago Dei in us all.
In this compelling collection of essays, Ashlee Eiland shares her story of being a black woman living on two sides of the fence: as the token black girl in majority-white spaces and as the "whitewashed" black girl in majority-black spaces. As she discovers her own unique worth through these recollections, Ashlee learns that extending radical kindness toward every person--regardless of social status, political views, or religious beliefs--gives us hope and rekindles our common humanity.
With grace and humility, Human(Kind) invites us to chart our own formative journeys and recognize our inherent value, cultivating empathy so we may once again see the image of God shining brightly within one another.
224 pages, Paperback
First published April 7, 2020
51 people are currently reading
953 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews
May 7, 2021
Very biased. 😊
I realize this book will not be what many expect, but I hope that, at the very least, it slows us down long enough to be kind to ourselves and others in new, surprising ways. Enjoy! ❤️ AE
I realize this book will not be what many expect, but I hope that, at the very least, it slows us down long enough to be kind to ourselves and others in new, surprising ways. Enjoy! ❤️ AE
June 4, 2020
This book was so timely. I read it in the week prior to the George Floyd murder and subsequent protests that followed. This book allowed my heart to be prepared for all that was to come.
"If I were in danger, would they protect and serve me? Or would they see me as unimportant and disposable - a life that might have certain rights but that doesn't matter?"
Ashlee takes us through so many themes - humility, friendship, loss, assumption - by sharing personal stories and experience from her life. Each chapter is a stand alone so the book can be read in any order. I jokingly refer to books like these as "bathroom reads" but that's not to discredit the power of her words. It just isn't written as a novel. Each chapter is a short anecdote so you can easily read in small batches.
But don't let the small size or short chapters allow you to think this book doesn't have depth. Ashlee opens up her doors and invites us in. She shares deeply personal stories with honest faith filled revelations. Always bringing us back to question ways we can rise up and be better, to DO better.
"The path of pure friendship allows us to trust each other's truth and lead each other without requiring that we let go of our own convictions. This path invites us to lift up stories that are different from our own and humbly enter into new experiences. It provides a way for us to listen without feeling fragile or threatened, making time to go the distance, eager to see what's meaningful and true."
Ashlee shares with us what it was like growing up black in a prominent white school. She shares anecdotes from college and memories of internships. Her stories are deeply personal, sometimes funny, and always moving. She is thoughtful and generous with her advice.
"The world is a big, sometimes dark place. We need people around who will help us find and BE and spread more light. We need lovers of justice and mercy."
"If I were in danger, would they protect and serve me? Or would they see me as unimportant and disposable - a life that might have certain rights but that doesn't matter?"
Ashlee takes us through so many themes - humility, friendship, loss, assumption - by sharing personal stories and experience from her life. Each chapter is a stand alone so the book can be read in any order. I jokingly refer to books like these as "bathroom reads" but that's not to discredit the power of her words. It just isn't written as a novel. Each chapter is a short anecdote so you can easily read in small batches.
But don't let the small size or short chapters allow you to think this book doesn't have depth. Ashlee opens up her doors and invites us in. She shares deeply personal stories with honest faith filled revelations. Always bringing us back to question ways we can rise up and be better, to DO better.
"The path of pure friendship allows us to trust each other's truth and lead each other without requiring that we let go of our own convictions. This path invites us to lift up stories that are different from our own and humbly enter into new experiences. It provides a way for us to listen without feeling fragile or threatened, making time to go the distance, eager to see what's meaningful and true."
Ashlee shares with us what it was like growing up black in a prominent white school. She shares anecdotes from college and memories of internships. Her stories are deeply personal, sometimes funny, and always moving. She is thoughtful and generous with her advice.
"The world is a big, sometimes dark place. We need people around who will help us find and BE and spread more light. We need lovers of justice and mercy."
January 9, 2021
This was a personal book, full of humility and learning. I enjoyed the second half much more, as it seemed to go deeper than the first half.
March 3, 2020
In today’s world of divisiveness and social media outbursts, we need a voice of calm and reason. Ashlee Eiland provides that voice. Only recently have I come to understand that I suffer from White Privilege. I assumed that because I speak Spanish and married a Cuban, I had an open mind and would never think a racist thought.
In truth, we all suffer from prejudice, racism, and privilege—we just don’t realize it. We also don’t realize how it shapes our attitudes and assumptions about other people. The subtle things we say or don’t say that can tear people down instead of building them up. We miss the fact that as humans, we have more in common than we think.
Eiland shares her struggles of growing up in an affluent Black family where she feels she doesn’t fit in with the majority of black people, yet never feels fully part of the predominant white culture. I can understand her feelings of dissonance, as can anyone who grew up in a subculture. But no one ever shouted epithets at me or made me feel less-than.
Her stories paint a picture of what happens when we learn to honor other people and their stories instead of spewing knee-jerk reactions to people’s otherness that seems to conflict with our ways of seeing and doing. Eiland gently points out the value in sitting “patiently under the comb, knowing in our hearts that the outcome might be less than desirable—but also knowing that trying is the best offering some can give.”
She also reminds us of the importance of giving honor to other people—not because they do something for us, but because they are human. “Standing in front of someone I don’t know and affirming his existence can be just as powerful as a formal ceremony.” When we make a habit of honoring others and their right to exist, we learn something about ourselves.
“The point isn’t to try to relate to all people and demand they affirm us. It’s to proclaim “worthy” over and over again, whether or not others are willing to give us their art, their space…or even their friendship.”
Why Read this Book?
Eiland reminds us that we can be proud of who we are and still appreciate other cultures—life isn’t either, or. She reminds us that, “Our assumptions make false demands of people we hardly even know.” Maybe we need to listen more and talk less. Open our ears instead of our mouths. Treat everyone, absolutely everyone, with honor and respect—not because of anything they did or do—but because they are fellow created beings.
If people intrigue you, and you’re tired of the vitriol strewn all over the Internet, you’ll love this book. Eiland reminds us that standing up for right doesn’t mean engaging in the same bad behavior. It takes more work than that. We need to make space for everyone and their stories without judgment. The most powerful way to change the world is to engage kindly with one person at a time.
In truth, we all suffer from prejudice, racism, and privilege—we just don’t realize it. We also don’t realize how it shapes our attitudes and assumptions about other people. The subtle things we say or don’t say that can tear people down instead of building them up. We miss the fact that as humans, we have more in common than we think.
Eiland shares her struggles of growing up in an affluent Black family where she feels she doesn’t fit in with the majority of black people, yet never feels fully part of the predominant white culture. I can understand her feelings of dissonance, as can anyone who grew up in a subculture. But no one ever shouted epithets at me or made me feel less-than.
Her stories paint a picture of what happens when we learn to honor other people and their stories instead of spewing knee-jerk reactions to people’s otherness that seems to conflict with our ways of seeing and doing. Eiland gently points out the value in sitting “patiently under the comb, knowing in our hearts that the outcome might be less than desirable—but also knowing that trying is the best offering some can give.”
She also reminds us of the importance of giving honor to other people—not because they do something for us, but because they are human. “Standing in front of someone I don’t know and affirming his existence can be just as powerful as a formal ceremony.” When we make a habit of honoring others and their right to exist, we learn something about ourselves.
“The point isn’t to try to relate to all people and demand they affirm us. It’s to proclaim “worthy” over and over again, whether or not others are willing to give us their art, their space…or even their friendship.”
Why Read this Book?
Eiland reminds us that we can be proud of who we are and still appreciate other cultures—life isn’t either, or. She reminds us that, “Our assumptions make false demands of people we hardly even know.” Maybe we need to listen more and talk less. Open our ears instead of our mouths. Treat everyone, absolutely everyone, with honor and respect—not because of anything they did or do—but because they are fellow created beings.
If people intrigue you, and you’re tired of the vitriol strewn all over the Internet, you’ll love this book. Eiland reminds us that standing up for right doesn’t mean engaging in the same bad behavior. It takes more work than that. We need to make space for everyone and their stories without judgment. The most powerful way to change the world is to engage kindly with one person at a time.
August 13, 2020
This book was excellent on so many levels! First, because of how it was set up. Short chapters with impressionable memories from the author. It forced me to reflect when I’ve been in similar situations and how I responded. It also helped me look forward to how I might give kindness to others or if I’m open to receive it. I also appreciated hearing her perspective as a black woman in America. Even in her most difficult times, she didn’t leave me feeling her anger, even though she should be angry. But her approach to her experiences always reflected either on how she can still love the other person. How hard is that?!?! Very hard to love those who are mean and unkind to us.
This book provided me with a lot of reflection and would be an awesome book club choice.
This book provided me with a lot of reflection and would be an awesome book club choice.
April 15, 2020
I’m honestly not sure what to rate Human(Kind). I originally gave it 3 stars for this review, which means “I liked it” to me. But it could be higher. I don’t know. I think it’s still working on me.
At first, I really didn’t think I was going to like it. From the title and description, I thought I was getting a Christian living book on a topic I really appreciated. but I’d categorize it as a memoir. In each short chapter, Ashlee shares personal stories, wrapping up each chapter with a truth.
But the more I read, the more I wanted to keep reading. Ashlee is an incredibly gifted story teller. That’s what kept drawing me in. She is so descriptive, you’d almost expect it to be fiction (not AT ALL saying I think her stories are fictional...simply saying that she beautifully describes scenes and situations in a way that’s usually only found in fiction.) You feel like you’re right there next to her as she is real, raw, and incredibly vulnerable.
She and I are different people, coming from different worlds. We do have in common that we are both in ministry in the midwestern US. We’re both married and have kids. But we’re different in gender, race, hometown, and a few other areas, too. (I’m sure that, like with most people, we could find a lot more in common conversing with one another, but that’s not a luxury i have being a reader.)
Being from such different places, there were many things that I couldn’t relate to and a few things I didn’t necessarily agree with, but, as her writing beckoned its readers to do, I could listen. I could hear from a perspective different than my own, and one that’s certainly just as valid. And I think, in the end, that was exactly her point. It’s good and helpful for ourselves to hear from someone else’s story. It’s also a way of extending grace, kindness, and dignity. A way towards unity. And I loved her emphasis on that.
I think I talked myself into a higher rating. Ashlee, thank you for your perspective and for doing your part to help the world realize that everyone has value and worth.
Full disclosure: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion. All opinions expressed are my own.
At first, I really didn’t think I was going to like it. From the title and description, I thought I was getting a Christian living book on a topic I really appreciated. but I’d categorize it as a memoir. In each short chapter, Ashlee shares personal stories, wrapping up each chapter with a truth.
But the more I read, the more I wanted to keep reading. Ashlee is an incredibly gifted story teller. That’s what kept drawing me in. She is so descriptive, you’d almost expect it to be fiction (not AT ALL saying I think her stories are fictional...simply saying that she beautifully describes scenes and situations in a way that’s usually only found in fiction.) You feel like you’re right there next to her as she is real, raw, and incredibly vulnerable.
She and I are different people, coming from different worlds. We do have in common that we are both in ministry in the midwestern US. We’re both married and have kids. But we’re different in gender, race, hometown, and a few other areas, too. (I’m sure that, like with most people, we could find a lot more in common conversing with one another, but that’s not a luxury i have being a reader.)
Being from such different places, there were many things that I couldn’t relate to and a few things I didn’t necessarily agree with, but, as her writing beckoned its readers to do, I could listen. I could hear from a perspective different than my own, and one that’s certainly just as valid. And I think, in the end, that was exactly her point. It’s good and helpful for ourselves to hear from someone else’s story. It’s also a way of extending grace, kindness, and dignity. A way towards unity. And I loved her emphasis on that.
I think I talked myself into a higher rating. Ashlee, thank you for your perspective and for doing your part to help the world realize that everyone has value and worth.
Full disclosure: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion. All opinions expressed are my own.
April 5, 2020
This amazing book is a collection of stories the author put together as a small glimpse into her life. Ashlee's brave descriptions will leave you laughing, crying and most importantly thinking. Thinking, "How can I be more kind as a human?" We are all in this together, none of us better than another. We all have different stories, backgrounds and futures, but we all deserve kindness. I truly believe that everyone who reads this book will be better off because you took the time to do so.
January 1, 2021
“We are together in this. Our human compassion binds us to one another-not in pity or patronizingly, but as human beings who have learnt how to turn our common suffering into hope for the future.” - Nelson Mandela
This was an inspirational read about the importance of impacting everyone around us in a kind way. I loved the messages within each little story and it’s a great mindset to have going into the new year! Happy New Years!
This was an inspirational read about the importance of impacting everyone around us in a kind way. I loved the messages within each little story and it’s a great mindset to have going into the new year! Happy New Years!
October 27, 2023
I loveeeed learning from Ashlee! Each chapter has a theme, and there are discussion question! Both helped me process. This book would be great for a book club!
April 2, 2020
“If we let it, kindness will be a part of what saves us from the divisions and disharmony that have become cemented in how we coexist, from the sting when we talk about what grieves us and moves us to action and from the pride of our postures online and across tables as we advocate for that which we believe in so strongly.” - From Human(Kind) by Ashlee Eiland
I opened Ashlee Eiland’s Human(Kind) unsure what I was going to read, I didn’t expect the humour, wisdom and insights I discovered! Each chapter is an essay on a single topic drawn from Ashlee’s experience but relevant to each reader and eye-opening to those of us from a different culture or country.
“Do we see people like that now? Do we look for the newcomer, the outcast, or the individual who seems uncertain? Or do we stick to our agendas, taking shortcuts so we won’t have to be disturbed or interrupted?.” - From Human(Kind) by Ashlee Eiland
Ashlee is a black, female pastor in America. She is also a mom, a daughter, a friend, a university graduate and so much more. Every facet of her humanity is explored, the roles each of us holds in life examined and how our labels and categorisations shape our world. She’s endured so many struggles and overcome so much to achieve what she has and, in the process, discovered so many insights into Christianity and living out Jesus’ love. The reader is challenged to reflect on their own life and what is to gained from the experiences.
“The assumptions we make, even with the best intentions, have the power to inflict the harshest wounds, forming craters where there could’ve been a bridge.”- From Human(Kind) by Ashlee Eiland
I thoroughly enjoyed a couple of chapters a day, taking time to reflect on the happenings and working out how it applied to my own life. It is a call to kindness, to appreciating ourselves as we are and, in doing so, to loving each other better.
“This is the journey of humankindness: knowing and loving ourselves fully and honoring the hand life has dealt us, emptying ourselves for others, seeing the fullness of joy and hurt and pain in every interaction, and then choosing to regard another with humility and selflessness anyway.” - From Human(Kind) by Ashlee Eiland
It’s a five out of five on the enJOYment scale and highly recommended, this book is a delight and a challenge but definitely one to read!
I opened Ashlee Eiland’s Human(Kind) unsure what I was going to read, I didn’t expect the humour, wisdom and insights I discovered! Each chapter is an essay on a single topic drawn from Ashlee’s experience but relevant to each reader and eye-opening to those of us from a different culture or country.
“Do we see people like that now? Do we look for the newcomer, the outcast, or the individual who seems uncertain? Or do we stick to our agendas, taking shortcuts so we won’t have to be disturbed or interrupted?.” - From Human(Kind) by Ashlee Eiland
Ashlee is a black, female pastor in America. She is also a mom, a daughter, a friend, a university graduate and so much more. Every facet of her humanity is explored, the roles each of us holds in life examined and how our labels and categorisations shape our world. She’s endured so many struggles and overcome so much to achieve what she has and, in the process, discovered so many insights into Christianity and living out Jesus’ love. The reader is challenged to reflect on their own life and what is to gained from the experiences.
“The assumptions we make, even with the best intentions, have the power to inflict the harshest wounds, forming craters where there could’ve been a bridge.”- From Human(Kind) by Ashlee Eiland
I thoroughly enjoyed a couple of chapters a day, taking time to reflect on the happenings and working out how it applied to my own life. It is a call to kindness, to appreciating ourselves as we are and, in doing so, to loving each other better.
“This is the journey of humankindness: knowing and loving ourselves fully and honoring the hand life has dealt us, emptying ourselves for others, seeing the fullness of joy and hurt and pain in every interaction, and then choosing to regard another with humility and selflessness anyway.” - From Human(Kind) by Ashlee Eiland
It’s a five out of five on the enJOYment scale and highly recommended, this book is a delight and a challenge but definitely one to read!
April 8, 2020
I liked the author's honesty, transparency and heart for sharing her story in this book "Human(Kind): How Reclaiming Human Worth and Embracing Radical Kindness Will Bring Us Back Together."
I was not prepared for the way it would wreck me because I could closely relate to many of the author's experiences in real-life.
Much is to be said for her talent for pulling the heartstrings and stating the case for why we as humans simply need to be kind to each other.
However, I was not prepared for a lot of the raw material concerning race related pain/issues/trauma/injustice that served as the vehicle for the author's call for change. It triggered me in the worst way.
If you're not a person of color who has dealt with these very real and raw words, stereotypes and situations that you're bound to experience at least once or twice in your life then you probably won't be triggered at all by her stories. But for me it was too painful and I almost didn't finish reading the book.
It was the author's intriguing storytelling style that kept me reading because I really did want to know how the book ended and I wanted to see how she dealt with these horrible situations she was placed in simply because of the color of her skin, texture of her hair and family blood line/race.
Again, I wasn't prepared for how this book would wreck me. But the author definitely writes well and is brave for sharing her story and putting her heart on the line. Stories like this, be it fiction or nonfiction, that are known as #ownvoices need to be told, published and marketed more effectively. Human(Kind) is a step in the right direction.
*The author's publisher provided me (Alexis A. Goring) with a complimentary copy of this book, "Human(Kind): How Reclaiming Human Worth and Embracing Radical Kindness Will Bring Us Back Together," by Ashlee Eiland. My opinions in this book review are my own.
I was not prepared for the way it would wreck me because I could closely relate to many of the author's experiences in real-life.
Much is to be said for her talent for pulling the heartstrings and stating the case for why we as humans simply need to be kind to each other.
However, I was not prepared for a lot of the raw material concerning race related pain/issues/trauma/injustice that served as the vehicle for the author's call for change. It triggered me in the worst way.
If you're not a person of color who has dealt with these very real and raw words, stereotypes and situations that you're bound to experience at least once or twice in your life then you probably won't be triggered at all by her stories. But for me it was too painful and I almost didn't finish reading the book.
It was the author's intriguing storytelling style that kept me reading because I really did want to know how the book ended and I wanted to see how she dealt with these horrible situations she was placed in simply because of the color of her skin, texture of her hair and family blood line/race.
Again, I wasn't prepared for how this book would wreck me. But the author definitely writes well and is brave for sharing her story and putting her heart on the line. Stories like this, be it fiction or nonfiction, that are known as #ownvoices need to be told, published and marketed more effectively. Human(Kind) is a step in the right direction.
*The author's publisher provided me (Alexis A. Goring) with a complimentary copy of this book, "Human(Kind): How Reclaiming Human Worth and Embracing Radical Kindness Will Bring Us Back Together," by Ashlee Eiland. My opinions in this book review are my own.
March 31, 2020
Ashlee Eiland uses a writing style similar to "parables" to share her spiritual growth with us. She takes us with her as she journeys back to her early years and brings us right along with her as she examines significant "stories" over the course of her life that left indelible marks on her as a black person whose parents provided her with an upscale lifestyle; a lifestyle that had her trying to maneuver between two worlds ... worlds that must be reconciled to make sense of this divided, mixed up world we live in today. Her considerable intellect is overlaid with her spiritual growth and spiritual wisdom as she extracts the lessons in kindness that have moved her forward in acknowledging and accepting the "imago Dei", image of God, in all "humankind".
Although her "parables" basically stem from a racial divide, the intellectual and spiritual wisdom used can be applied in any painful or significant episode each of us is sure to encounter in our own journey through life. Ashlee's willingness to be vulnerable and transparent in her "parables" in order to fully illustrate to her readers how her thinking was transformed, is, itself, a lesson in true kindness.
A couple of her "parables" spoke directly to unresolved issues in my own life and have allowed me to revisit those episodes and view them through the lenses of "imago Dei" and in light of the kindness referenced in Ephesians 4:32, which admonishes us to "be kind to one another ..." This book had me shedding many tears, but I consider the first read my "main course". I'm about to begin a re-reading for "dessert".
Although her "parables" basically stem from a racial divide, the intellectual and spiritual wisdom used can be applied in any painful or significant episode each of us is sure to encounter in our own journey through life. Ashlee's willingness to be vulnerable and transparent in her "parables" in order to fully illustrate to her readers how her thinking was transformed, is, itself, a lesson in true kindness.
A couple of her "parables" spoke directly to unresolved issues in my own life and have allowed me to revisit those episodes and view them through the lenses of "imago Dei" and in light of the kindness referenced in Ephesians 4:32, which admonishes us to "be kind to one another ..." This book had me shedding many tears, but I consider the first read my "main course". I'm about to begin a re-reading for "dessert".
April 3, 2020
I thoroughly enjoyed savoring the stories, overarching themes and personal experiences written by Ashlee Eiland in Human(Kind). I found myself reading through it deeply and slowly; allowing the themes and experiences to sink deeply into my heart. These stories can have the power to change you if you allow yourself to consider your own narratives, experiences and story in relation to the personal narratives that were voiced with vulnerability and truth.
Author Ashlee Eiland has profound questions to provoke reflection in each of us; desiring to ultimately extend radical kindness to each person in order to bring humanity back to connection with one another.
Intertwined throughout is the bigger story of grace. Grace for herself and her own story, grace extended to the reader for own stories and God’s grace for us all.
You will be thrilled to partake and savor in this book! Human(kind) has the potential to change you if you allow the author’s voice, stories, lessons and challenges to change the way you interact with your neighbor, your community and any that you have the opportunity to show human kindness to as we navigate each day forward.
This is a book I have highlighted, underlined, put hearts and stars within its pages as I plan to return to it time and time again!
Author Ashlee Eiland has profound questions to provoke reflection in each of us; desiring to ultimately extend radical kindness to each person in order to bring humanity back to connection with one another.
Intertwined throughout is the bigger story of grace. Grace for herself and her own story, grace extended to the reader for own stories and God’s grace for us all.
You will be thrilled to partake and savor in this book! Human(kind) has the potential to change you if you allow the author’s voice, stories, lessons and challenges to change the way you interact with your neighbor, your community and any that you have the opportunity to show human kindness to as we navigate each day forward.
This is a book I have highlighted, underlined, put hearts and stars within its pages as I plan to return to it time and time again!
April 1, 2020
I think most of us would agree that our world could use a lot more Kindness. This book suggests that “Kindness will be able to undo the damage we’ve done because it’s the secret weapon for detecting the intrinsic worth found in every person.”
Through personal stories, author Ashlee Eiland shows us that transformational kindness requires bravery. As I read each chapter, Ashlee invited me to know her a bit better and then bravely examine what her story stirred up/opened up in me. She reminds us that “we all have stories.” And those stories come with us into grocery stores, and meetings, and schools as we encounter people.
This book helped me to honestly reflect on some of the things, for better or for worse, that are part of my story. Even more, this book made me eager to get to know my “neighbor” better, even the one who inexplicably hates dogs and seems very angry and unfriendly. What stories make up the way that neighbor is approaching things on our street?
Though not an easy read, I loved each and every story that Ashlee shared. I underlined and re-read chapters several times. I recommend this book highly for anyone who is unhappy with a world that feels angry and disconnected. The remedy for repair is here. But I warn you, it won’t come without a lot of self reflection and work. But I think it’s worth it. Kindness, of course, starts with me.
Through personal stories, author Ashlee Eiland shows us that transformational kindness requires bravery. As I read each chapter, Ashlee invited me to know her a bit better and then bravely examine what her story stirred up/opened up in me. She reminds us that “we all have stories.” And those stories come with us into grocery stores, and meetings, and schools as we encounter people.
This book helped me to honestly reflect on some of the things, for better or for worse, that are part of my story. Even more, this book made me eager to get to know my “neighbor” better, even the one who inexplicably hates dogs and seems very angry and unfriendly. What stories make up the way that neighbor is approaching things on our street?
Though not an easy read, I loved each and every story that Ashlee shared. I underlined and re-read chapters several times. I recommend this book highly for anyone who is unhappy with a world that feels angry and disconnected. The remedy for repair is here. But I warn you, it won’t come without a lot of self reflection and work. But I think it’s worth it. Kindness, of course, starts with me.
April 6, 2020
“Each one of us has this kind of influence - to bring what we know to the lounge or the field and let someone else teach us, wrestling well as we lean in and listen. When we do, we’ll see that power isn’t reserved for the elite few. The power to enrich and expand your life and mine belongs to all people.” - Ashlee Eiland, Human(kind)
Everyone has the power to enrich and expand another person's life. Ashlee creates a space for her readers to reflect on her personal life stories and see where they may apply to their own lives.
Human(kind) is not a guide to being kind but a set of parables illustrating where kindness can show up in your stories, whether they are easy or hard.
This book was a quick read, however I found myself soaking in each chapter and really trying to understand and feel each story. At times, I laughed, other times I was in disbelief and wondering how I could improve who I am and who people see me to be.
In the end, I appreciated the vulnerability that Ashlee shared with us and how it really helped me understand, just a (sliver), of somethings I haven’t been exposed to in my own life. Ashlee reminds us that we ALL have the POWER to enrich and expand everyone else’s life, we just need to be able to let them be seen and known and loved.
Everyone has the power to enrich and expand another person's life. Ashlee creates a space for her readers to reflect on her personal life stories and see where they may apply to their own lives.
Human(kind) is not a guide to being kind but a set of parables illustrating where kindness can show up in your stories, whether they are easy or hard.
This book was a quick read, however I found myself soaking in each chapter and really trying to understand and feel each story. At times, I laughed, other times I was in disbelief and wondering how I could improve who I am and who people see me to be.
In the end, I appreciated the vulnerability that Ashlee shared with us and how it really helped me understand, just a (sliver), of somethings I haven’t been exposed to in my own life. Ashlee reminds us that we ALL have the POWER to enrich and expand everyone else’s life, we just need to be able to let them be seen and known and loved.
April 6, 2020
Barely hanging on from fear of this earth-gripping pandemic combined with the political mire swirling around it all, I was desperate for this book. I think the world will feel the same way. What I believe the world needs now more than ever is a reminder to "love thy neighbor as thyself" and Ashlee's personal stories of growing up a privileged black girl in a predominately white culture does just that. Although our childhood's were nothing alike, Ashlee's relatability, vulnerability and honesty had me riveted in solidarity with her and I found myself nodding in agreement as she shared stories of fear, rejection, shame, hope and healing. Human(kind) is one part memoir and two parts wisdom and insight into the human experience that connects us all: the need for love and belonging. You will weep, you will laugh, you will cheer and at the end of the book you will wish there was more! Five stars for certain!!!
April 6, 2020
Ashlee did a beautiful job of inviting us into her life. She opened the door to countless stories that honestly anyone should hear. Human dignity is lacking in our everyday lives and she addresses the need for kindness to rebuild it. This book brought so much hope into my heart. Hope for humanity, hope for my own life, hope for the future and the ability for the past to teach me so much.
Thank you Ashlee! Your words are changing lives, I am sure of it.
Human(kind): How Reclaiming Human Worth and Embracing Radical Kindness Will Bring Us Back Together
Thank you Ashlee! Your words are changing lives, I am sure of it.
Human(kind): How Reclaiming Human Worth and Embracing Radical Kindness Will Bring Us Back Together
April 5, 2020
In Human(Kind), Ashlee Eiland eloquently shares the experiences that shaped her as a black woman living in a predominantly white world. She draws the reader into her story through thought-provoking reflections in such a way that one can see how each of our stories intersect. Her journey to the present shows how expectations, fears, and insecurities are instilled upon us through the words, symbols and actions of others; blinding us from who we were created to be. Ashlee shows us how empathy and radical kindness towards ourselves and others can heal and bring us closer to the Imago Dei. I highly recommend this book. Read it slowly, savoring and reflecting on each chapter. You won’t see the world the same when you are finished!
May 16, 2020
Growing up in an upper-middle-class family in the 1990s was anything but normal for Ashlee Eiland. In Human (Kind), EIland recalls outstanding moments where she felt straddled between two worlds and the constant struggle to become her own people. She also reflects on key moments where she could have or have been shown a lit more kindness. Eiland does not ignore the pivotal moments in US History like the rise of nationalism and #BlackLivesMatter. Rather she advocates for social activism with radical kindness across the divides.
As a non-American reader, this essay collection was a delight to read because it resonated with my own experiences of racism and colourism ( thankfully, they have been few and far between). Human(KInd) calls readers to remember their inherent value as God's children regardless of their origins and to cultivate empathy for others.
As a non-American reader, this essay collection was a delight to read because it resonated with my own experiences of racism and colourism ( thankfully, they have been few and far between). Human(KInd) calls readers to remember their inherent value as God's children regardless of their origins and to cultivate empathy for others.
November 25, 2020
This book was a breath of fresh air in a time the country is so divided over what feels like a multitude of reasons. It seems simple, right? Radical kindness will help us solve all our problems. But what if she's right? What if empathy, proximity, compassion, sacrifice, and humility can help us bridge our differences? What if leaning in and hearing the stories of strangers helps us realize we have more in common than we ever thought possible. Kindness and empathy... It's so simple yet so powerful.
April 6, 2020
Ashlee is an amazing wordsmith that has a way of telling stories that makes you feel like you are in it. You get all the emotions and feels like you are living the stories. The book makes you really think about your own actions, and if you are being kind out of love or out of pity. I never really thought that kindness might be taken the wrong the way. I love this book and highly recommend this book as a good read, actually...an excellent read!
April 5, 2020
Ashlee has a way of taking you into her stories and giving you moments of self-reflection that spur you on to re-thinking how you practice kindness.
I laughed with Ashlee and I lamented with Ashlee as she shared from her heart stories in which kindness was exemplified and where kindness was absent.
Radical kindness is what we as humans need not only for others but for ourselves, this book provides images and ways to for you to start practicing.
I laughed with Ashlee and I lamented with Ashlee as she shared from her heart stories in which kindness was exemplified and where kindness was absent.
Radical kindness is what we as humans need not only for others but for ourselves, this book provides images and ways to for you to start practicing.
April 6, 2020
The book has challenged me to be kind in less ideal situations! To be mindful of how my actions may impact others. I love this book for helping me to grow and to realize my part in Human kindness! Let this book challenge you, too, to be better!
September 4, 2020
Rounded up to 4 stars because I found Ashlee’s transparent vulnerable writing worthy of it. Like many other NF books I’ve read this year, the chapters are disjointed, though her book basically followed a general theme around kindness. I really appreciated hearing the experience of a Black woman who grew up in predominately white spaces, a perspective I had yet to read about in my recent reads. I’ve since scoped Ashlee on Instagram and further appreciate her voice!
March 23, 2020
Wow! What a great book! All I could think about as I read it was "Gee, why DON'T people do that?" or "That has happened to me too." One simple example was the importance of names! As an educator, it was something that really rang true to me. I stress to my students about "What do you want to be called?" and it bothers me when kids don't care. How can you not? What Ashlee says "Names are the most powerful of all words." Using someone's name is the kind thing to do. Another great quote was "Do we look for the newcomer, the outcast or the individual who seems uncertain?" Or do we stick to our agendas taking shortcuts so we won't have to be disturbed or interrupted?" Wow! How true is that? When we moved to a new state, finding friends was difficult and I truly appreciated people reaching out and being kind. In this fast-paced world, how much better would it be if we all took that extra minute to check on the person who seems lost or lonely? I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it to everyone! I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher, but was compensated in no way for a positive review.
April 3, 2020
This is a time where we are purposely seeking kindness. This beautiful book helps us think in a way that encourages kindness within our own heart and will cause us to see kindness and have more empathy for others. It is written in such a way that I felt the author was speaking directly to me. Moving, real, inspirational.
April 7, 2020
“Kindness may be a mushy word, but it’s the dark horse of our humanity. It’s not loud or demanding, but given enough time, it wins.”
Ashlee Eiland
Indeed it does Ashlee.
Ashlee Eiland
Indeed it does Ashlee.
March 23, 2020
We live in a very divided world. It’s often difficult to find peace and reason, particularly on social media. And kindness? In-person or online, kindness is sadly lacking most of the time.
This book was different from many I’ve read, and it wasn’t quite what I expected. It was more of a memoir where the author shares her beliefs and the challenges she’s faced in her life. It was interesting, but not what I thought it would be. Eiland is open and honest in sharing her story.
A key takeaway is the reminder to show kindness to others, despite our differences. That’s something everyone needs … no matter their race, religion, gender, or locale. This book provides a reminder to talk less and listen more to those around us. (It reminded me of something I heard years ago: “There’s a reason we have two ears and only one mouth!”)
One of my favorite quotes:
“Our assumptions make false demands of people we hardly even know.”
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy, but I wasn’t required to leave a positive review.
This book was different from many I’ve read, and it wasn’t quite what I expected. It was more of a memoir where the author shares her beliefs and the challenges she’s faced in her life. It was interesting, but not what I thought it would be. Eiland is open and honest in sharing her story.
A key takeaway is the reminder to show kindness to others, despite our differences. That’s something everyone needs … no matter their race, religion, gender, or locale. This book provides a reminder to talk less and listen more to those around us. (It reminded me of something I heard years ago: “There’s a reason we have two ears and only one mouth!”)
One of my favorite quotes:
“Our assumptions make false demands of people we hardly even know.”
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy, but I wasn’t required to leave a positive review.
March 10, 2021
I thoroughly enjoy this beautifully written book about humanity and how the ways we interact matter. The book is full of wit, joy, love, mindful reflections and profoundly personal moments.
A timely and candid look into a world that often is unfair, unkind and void of understanding. This is the book my younger self needed. I walked a similar journey and I connected with the kind, innocent and loving girl who loved past skin tones, and status only to be met with insensitive moments, direct bias, and hurtful prejudice.
We peak into her youth, friendships, school and college years, careers, hurts, fears, accomplishments, mistakes, rocky relationships, and motherhood. A relatable book and an important view of “black life in America” that reminds us that we are not as alone as we often feel.
A timely and candid look into a world that often is unfair, unkind and void of understanding. This is the book my younger self needed. I walked a similar journey and I connected with the kind, innocent and loving girl who loved past skin tones, and status only to be met with insensitive moments, direct bias, and hurtful prejudice.
We peak into her youth, friendships, school and college years, careers, hurts, fears, accomplishments, mistakes, rocky relationships, and motherhood. A relatable book and an important view of “black life in America” that reminds us that we are not as alone as we often feel.
March 19, 2020
Human(kind) is a book about showing kindness in an often unkind world. This book was not quite what I expected, because instead of a guidebook on kindness, it was more of the author's personal story. However, I found that to be engaging. Even though I did not agree with all of Eiland's personal beliefs, I applaud her for being willing to be vulnerable and tell her story. I also appreciated her message on still showing kindness and reaching out to other despite our differences. That is a message that is very timely in our world today.
"We all have burdens we've had to shoulder in life - circumstances that were hard to carry, that we never thought we'd live though. Some will never understand us, no matter how hard we try to tell our stories or justify our positions. But if we're willing to release some of ourselves for the sake of another in the spirit of radical kindness, to let go of power, control, or other lesser gods that we've been gripping so tightly, with enough attention, care, and love, we can still acknowledge the complexity and sacredness of one another's lives, even if we never understand the whole story."
I received a copy of this book from the publisher, in return for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
"We all have burdens we've had to shoulder in life - circumstances that were hard to carry, that we never thought we'd live though. Some will never understand us, no matter how hard we try to tell our stories or justify our positions. But if we're willing to release some of ourselves for the sake of another in the spirit of radical kindness, to let go of power, control, or other lesser gods that we've been gripping so tightly, with enough attention, care, and love, we can still acknowledge the complexity and sacredness of one another's lives, even if we never understand the whole story."
I received a copy of this book from the publisher, in return for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
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