When Bad Things Happen to Good People: 20th Anniversary Edition, with a New Preface by the Author: Amazon.ca: Harold S. Kushner: Books

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From Amazon.com

Rarely does a book come along that tackles a perennially difficult human issue with such clarity and intelligence. Harold Kushner, a Jewish rabbi facing his own child's fatal illness, deftly guides us through the inadequacies of the traditional answers to the problem of evil, then provides a uniquely practical and compassionate answer that has appealed to millions of readers across all religious creeds. Remarkable for its intensely relevant real-life examples and its fluid prose, this book cannot go unread by anyone who has ever been troubled by the question, "Why me?" --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

When Bad Things Happen to Good People by Harold S. Kushner. Celebrating its 20th anniversary, this book features Rabbi Kushner's perspective on how people can better deal with evil that enters their lives.

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70 Reviews

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4.3 out of 5 stars (70 customer reviews)

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read when searching for God after a loss., Mar 20 2004

By

bsstoltz (Leesburg, VA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: When Bad Things Happen to Good People (Mass Market Paperback)

After the recent loss of my infant daughter, I was searching for answers and trying hard to stay connected to God and continue to believe in Him. Being faced with the death of an otherwise perfectly healthy baby it was very difficult to believe that

1. God is a good, loving God.
2. God is a just/fair God.
3. God controls everything.

How could God be fair and good when he would take the life of an innocent child? Why, if God controls everything, and is good, would he not spare this precious life? Why, if God is fair, would he "punish" this little girl with months of pain and suffering before her ultimate death?

For anyone who has experienced the loss of a loved one, particularly a child, this is a powerful book. Rabbit Kushner has addressed these painful questions with clarity and love for God. He uses the bible to back up his analysis and tells his story in a manner that everyone can understand. He also speaks to the horrible things that so many people, who think they are helping, say to those who have lost a loved one.

What matters is not so much if one agrees with Rabbi Kushner's analysis, it matters that he puts forth a way to stay close to God while working through your grief. At this time, I choose to agree with Rabbi Kushner's analysis. For all those who wish to tell me it is incorrect, I know they do not have my best interest at heart. Staying close and connected to God and not turning from him must be my goal. If I cannot at this time reconcile what I thought to be true with my reality, and it causes me to turn away from God or question God, nothing else matters. Anything that can help me continue love and give praise to God while I continue to work through my grief is valuable.

I commend Rabbi Kushner and consider this book a must read for anyone who has suffered a loss.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Find a New Cause, Dec 2 2003

By

Carmen Matthews "The Serene Samurai" (San Diego, California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: When Bad Things Happen to Good People (Mass Market Paperback)

Before reading this book, the first thing that came to mind, as I noticed the title was, "They find a way to turn things around."

I had no idea that this book would be such a wonderful book about accepting life, on life's terms.

But first, let's look at what causes bad things:

1. The laws of nature
2. Chaos
3. An act of nature
4. Human choices
5. Self-punishment when things go wrong
6. Accidents
7. Expectations of others that can't be fulfilled
8. Denial of emotional immaturity
9. Our reactions to our own hurt and anger

This book teaches readers how to accept any kind of loss as part of the human condition.

This book also tells us that God doesn't cause accidents, sickness or disasters.

When Adam and Eve ate from the Tree of Knowledge, they chose to live a life of choices, as knowledge is about choices. They were no longer in the category of animals. And with those choices God gave humanity choices, feelings and a need to congregate with other human beings, to affirm who we are.

God is here to build strength, courage, and a sense of human connection - when we are ready to ask ourselves, "Now that this has happened, what am I going to do about it?" And, "Whom does this suffering serve?"

"Let me sugggest that the bad things that happen to us in our lives do not have a meaning when they happen to us. They do not happen for any good reason which would cause us to accept them willingly. But we can give them a meaning."

It is a book to be read over and over again, to become more compassionate, as compassion is the language of God.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Three Books to Read When Bad Things Happen, Oct 6 2003

By

Susan Hersh-Gilbert (Madison, WI) - See all my reviews

This review is from: When Bad Things Happen to Good People (Mass Market Paperback)

I read "When Bad Things Happen to Good People" when it first came out five years ago. At that time, I found it interesting. But it was not until I lived through the deaths of two of my closest friends and I reread Kushner's classic that the book hit me with full force.
Two recent books also were important to me during this dark period. I recommend all three of these books for anyone going through difficult times:
During the early summer, two of my best friends, both women in their 40's, died of breast cancer. I searched for books that would offer me help with my grieving, and a perspective on what I was going through. Most of the books I found were long on faith and hope, and short on thought. And then I discovered two books, both recently published, that saved my life. These were Harold Kushner's "The Lord is My Shepherd" and Dennis Shulman's "The Genius of Genesis." I thank Harold Kushner and Dennis Shulman for giving me a way of understanding life and death in a broader context.
All three of these books tenderly guided me through my valley of the shadow of death and toward healing, and, for this, I am grateful.

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Most recent customer reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars "There are better choices to understand the mind of God..."
Dr. Kushner was well-intentioned in his authorship of this book to be sure. However, his basic conclusion is that God is either all-powerful or all-loving. Read more

Published on Jun 15 2004

4.0 out of 5 stars A sincere and thoughtful book
I must admit, I have not read this book yet, but aim to do so. I heard Mr. Kushner speak about his book on the God Squad and the message of his book . Read more

Published on April 5 2004 by TH