Enjoyed this one - it has good advice and encourages a community style of living, where cooperation and care are primary concerns. However, I'd be wary of this advice a little because it could tend to make a person go overboard in their efforts (there seems to be a serious lack of consideration for the 'recipient's' wishes in the scenarios highlighted or spelled out here. So take the advice - it's good! - but be careful before acting out on it and do weigh the pros and the cons (and maybe dial the enthusiasm down a bit, too, especially the first time you're approaching someone? Not everyone wants to talk or have food thrust upon them, for example)

This book was a welcome surprise in our world that can definitely show more kindness these days. Elisa Udaskin's stories of her family were so fun, inspiring and comforting. This book was a definite reminder that there is always room to be a little nicer or go do that little extra for someone. Kindness is so much better for our souls. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this delightful book.

• Mensch
/Men(t)SCH/
n. A person of integrity or honor.

“Remember there’s no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end.” – Scott Adams

What does it take to be a kind person? NOTHING! We don't have to pay taxes for being kind neither it's against any law. Kindness doesn't discriminate against any religion, culture, color, or social status; indeed, it connects us all with the purest and honest bond that exists: Humanity! And that's what this book is all about.

Alisa Udaskin's book ‘Be A Mensch’ inspires us to be more kind and empathetic by teaching different ways to incorporate kindness in our daily life and help others through difficult situations. Through its different chapters, this book presents different situations and circumstances when we can choose to be kind and serve our share in people's lives—even if they are people we may not know.

It's about those random acts of kindness when we just do what feels RIGHT for us. No matter if it's helping an elderly or specially-abled person to cross the road, feeding food to the ones in need, or just doing something little to make a difference in someone's life— the author brilliantly elucidates how it can have a huge impact on others. It's about the words we use and the behaviors we choose when we see someone going through something difficult. It's about not ignoring them but to put ourselves in their shoes to be more sympathetic toward them.

Through her presented stories from her life, the author covered many situations we could relate to. It motivates parents to teach their children to be more kind, empathetic, and helpful to others. It teaches us how we can contribute our part in someone's loss and pay our condolences and It teaches us how to act in situations when we lose our shit because of people.

It's just a simple book with a simple message of kindness and some very cool Yiddish words that she has used in this book. If nothing more, then this book will give you enough perspectives to think about and help you to unleash that 'Mensch' within you.

Be a Mensch
Unleash Your Power to Be Kind and Help Others:

In under 200 pages, this book gives the reader practical advice on how to #beamensch. Through anecdotes derived from her own personal life experience, and the experiences of her parents, and her Holocaust surviving grandparents, Elisa passes on what she has gleaned about helping others in her lifetime.

It is so true that our calendars (PRE-PANDEMIC), are always full, (and we wonder how we could fit more into an already packed day), but, Elisa explains that there are some simple & "QUICK" ways to help make a difference in other people's lives. Even if you may be doubtful that your contribution is appropriate (expected or necessary), do not let #FEAR stop you. Do not succumb to that nagging question in the back of your mind, "What will THEY think? There is always a way to help, and Elisa gives so many tips (for so many different situations).

I landed up buying this self help book, so I, too, can step up my "mensch game"!

Thank you #netgalley, @girlfridayproductions and @elisaudaskin for the complimentary digital copy of #beamensch in return for my honest review. An inspiring, quick read.

Part life guide, part memoir, Be a Mensch provides tips and tricks for how to be a good person. Drawn heavily from the life experiences of Udaskin (and, in particular, Udaskin's apparently delightful mother), this book provides practical tips on how to be a good person at work, within your family, and in times of crisis. There is also an extensive section on child rearing, which I think many parents would do well to read and consider. Additionally, this book includes a fair bit of explanation of yiddish terminology which I enjoyed very much. I grew up in an area where yiddish was commonly spoken but because we were not Jewish, I mostly learned the definitions in context. Having the formal definition of terms I have used and heard my whole life was interesting (and I also didn't realize quite how often I was apparently using the word 'penis'!)

If Marie Kondo gave a fresh take and practical roadmap to tidiness, well Elisa Udaskin has done the same for kindness. In this gem of a book the author draws on her Jewish heritage and Yiddish sayings to provide a hands-on guide for how to be a mensch (a good person). Most of us would like to be more helpful and supportive to others, but often we lack the confidence to do so. Udaskin gives great tips on how to be a mensch to to others at work (can you be a mensch and still succeed? yes you can!), and how to support the people we know when they encounter hardship.
Udaskin does a great job in helping us navigate the nitty- gritty of kindness. How can we help someone in a dark time if we don't know them terribly well? How do we help someone else when our own resources are low? How do we help others when they experience tragedy without overwhelming them?
I hadn't even finished the book and I felt empowered to reach out to someone who was ill.This is a beautiful and relevant book for our fractious and divided times.

I really liked the premise of this book and I think it does a good job of encouraging people to be kind and to step out of their comfort zone to be kinder.
Sometimes I had a hard time relating to what the author was saying and how she and her family behaved because I am very much an introvert and they were all very extroverted people. Also, I feel like the target audience for this book is probably older adults because there were a lot of mentions about what and how children learn, and about work life and work experiences. That advice didn’t really apply to me. The book also spoke a lot about funerals and helping people who lose loved ones which I also haven’t had much experience with.
I loved all the foreign language bits and references. I thought they made the book more unique. I also like how much the author referenced her own personal experiences instead of giving hypothetical made up examples. It made the reading experience more personal. Overall, a nice little book with good advice.

Written in conversational tone, and full of stories meant to inspire the reader, this is a laid-back, down-to-earth look at our society and how we can improve it one small act at at time. The author is great about incorporating her real-life experiences, both positive and negative, and allowing us to learn from her mistakes. She makes suggestions that are actually attainable, and reaches out to followers and non-followers alike.