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When Bad Things Happen to Good People
When Bad Things Happen to Good People
Author: Harold S. Kushner
When Harold Kushner’s three-year-old son was diagnosed with a degenerative disease and that he would only live until his early teens, he was faced with one of life’s most difficult questions: Why, God? Years later, Rabbi Kushner wrote this straightforward, elegant contemplation of the doubts and fears that arise when tragedy strikes...  more »
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ISBN-13: 9781400034727
ISBN-10: 1400034728
Publication Date: 8/24/2004
Pages: 176
Rating:
  • Currently 3.5/5 Stars.
 26

3.5 stars, based on 26 ratings
Publisher: Anchor
Book Type: Paperback
Other Versions: Hardcover, Audio Cassette, Audio CD
Members Wishing: 1
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

mum2gabe avatar reviewed When Bad Things Happen to Good People on + 16 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
I singled out this book as I felt I'd come to a fork in the road of my life. I could choose to be bitter after the premature birth and death of my son or I could try to seek out better ways to live my now very different life. I started this book dubious of its content. I expected to be lectured. Instead I found myself reading with an open mouth; shocked at how accurately my loss was explained. It was as if this wonderfully gifted rabbi had invisibly witnessed the events of my life, the times when my relatives would say the dumbest and most cruel comments. Instead of being talked at, I found I was reading a book a kind friend had written just for me. I am not religious or spiritual, I guess you could say I'm confused, however his book has opened my eyes to a different, kinder religion than the one I had always felt was judgemental.

I have since purchased the anniversary edition and this book will be one of my most treasured possessions. If you feel life has let you down, if you feel every door that was once open has been slammed in your face, if you feel alone in your sorrow and have nowhere else to turn for relief, this book is for you. It won't make the pain go away, but it will make the pain and sorrow less personal. You will no longer feel `why me', you will just realize that it is what it is and that in itself will make your pain easier to cope with. This is certainly how I feel upon it's ending, I hope you experience the same comforts.
reviewed When Bad Things Happen to Good People on + 5 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
As a Young Theology Student, Harold Kushner puzzled over the Book of Job. As a small-town rabbi he counseled other people through pain and grief. But not until he learned that his three-year-old son, Aaron, would die in his early teens of a rare disease did he confront one of life's most difficult questions: Where do we find the resources to cope when tragedy strikes? When Bad Things Happen to Good People offers wise and compassionate advice on how to cope with tragedy, what to do about anger and how to keep from feeling guilty.
Liztonlady avatar reviewed When Bad Things Happen to Good People on + 48 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
This is an older book. For everyone who has ben hurt by life - a book that heals. Good book for those who are dealing with tragedy.
reviewed When Bad Things Happen to Good People on + 2 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
I found this book to be just the answer I was looking for. Having been trained as a scientist, I have struggled with Darwin vs. the Devine, but this book has really helped me to find a place for both.
reviewed When Bad Things Happen to Good People on + 5 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
I first read this book in the late 1980's when a family member had a life-ending illness. At time it brought me great comfort. Since that time, I have continued to draw from its message. Whenever there is bad, I also see the good that is present. I have also been fortunate to "just happen" to be at a place to give comfort to others. I attribute this book with helping me to realize these opportunities.

I consider this book to be a "must" for people from all faiths, not only those who experience a crisis in their lives but also for those who want to know how to help others. As the years pass, this book seems to become more relevant, not less.
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reviewed When Bad Things Happen to Good People on + 142 more book reviews
"WISE AND COMPASSIONATE...AN INSPIRING BOOK" MCCALL'S
"PROVACATIVE AND COMFORTING ANSWERS TO THE UBIVERSAL QUESTION:
'WHY ME'?" REDBOOK
freeverse071681 avatar reviewed When Bad Things Happen to Good People on + 609 more book reviews
As a young theology student, Harold Kushner puzzled over the Book of Job. As a small-town rabbi he counseled other people through pain and grief. But not until he learned that his three-year-old son, Aaron, would die in his early teens of a rare disease did he confront one of life's most difficult questions: Where do we find the resources to cope when tragedy strikes? "I knew that one day I would write this book," says Rabbi Kushner. "I would write it out of my own need to put into words some of the most important things I have come to believe and know. And I would write it to help other people who might one day find themselves in a similar predicament. I am fundamentally a religious man who has been hurt by life, and I wanted to write a book that could be given to the person who has been hurt by life, and who knows in his heart that if there is justice in the world, he deserved better. . . . If you are such a person, if you want to believe in God's goodness and fairness but find it hard because of the things that have happened to you and to people you care about, and if this book helps you do that, then I will have succeeded in distilling some blessing out of Aaron's pain and tears." Since its original publication in 1981, When Bad Things Happen to Good People has brought solace and hope to millions. In his new preface to this anniversary edition, Rabbi Kushner relates the heartwarming responses he has received over the last two decades from people who have found inspiration and comfort within these pages.
reviewed When Bad Things Happen to Good People on + 27 more book reviews
A classic book on dealing with grief. Norman Vincent Peale calls this "A book all humanity needs."
reviewed When Bad Things Happen to Good People on
When Rabbi Harold S. Kusher discovers that his son has a progeria, a disease that causes advanced aging, and that he would die as a teenager his way of looking at God and Tragedy changed. In this book he endeavors to teach us all that he learned about dealing with tragedy. He offers a comforting message of love, forgiveness and how to cope when the world becomes unbearable.
I never read self-help books, but I read this at the insistance of one of my best friends, Komal, and I'm glad that I took her advice. It was easy to read, and Mr. Kusher writes in a simple, honest way that is free of bias.
I think that this book has changed the way I look at the world and God and that it will definitely help me to deal with tough times in the future.


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