Be a Mensch

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.

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.

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.