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When Bad Things Happen to Good People

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Author: Harold S. Kushner
Publisher: Anchor
Category: Book

List Price: ~~$11.95~~
Buy Used: $3.02
as of 11/21/2009 00:51 PST details
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New (61) Used (99) from $3.02

Seller: baerden4

Media: Paperback
Pages: 176
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 7.8 x 5.1 x 0.5

ISBN: 1400034728
Dewey Decimal Number: 296.311
EAN: 9781400034727
ASIN: 1400034728

Publication Date: August 24, 2004
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days

Features:

•	ISBN13: 9781400034727
•	Condition: NEW
•	Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
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Editorial Reviews:

Amazon.com Review
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?"

Product Description
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. Kushner shares his wisdom as a rabbi, a parent, a reader, and a human being. Often imitated but never superseded, When Bad Things Happen to Good People is a classic that offers clear thinking and consolation in times of sorrow.
Since its original publication in 1981, When Bad Things Happen to Good People has brought solace and hope to millions of readers and its author has become a nationally known spiritual leader.

Customer Reviews:

Showing reviews 1-5 of 100

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Makes a better case for atheism than God. October 27, 2009
Jacob A. Nash
I just finished reading this book as I write this. The first half of the book is pretty good, but this rabbi really makes a better case for god not existing than theism. As the book goes on, he starts to contradict himself and his arguments start to turn very very weak. He should have only made this book half as long.

Bottom line, if you are atheist and want to maybe convince your friends or family that believing in god is stupid, this might be a good introduction book for them.

5 out of 5 stars

Excellent Vendor! October 26, 2009
A. Sabloff (Surprise, AZ)
Brite Star, the seller of this book, was by far, the best I've ever encountered on Amazon.
Generally, it takes more than two weeks from the time I've ordered a book, to when I receive it. With Brite Star, from the date of ordering to receipt, was four (4) days! And, the book was in better condition than stated.
I will always try to use Brite Star in the future, and I urge you to do so as well.

5 out of 5 stars

Finding God again October 22, 2009
L. Rigano (New York City, NY)
I have had a lot of tragedy in my life and this book was a thoughtful, compelling look at our feelings and offered me a new way to look at God.

4 out of 5 stars

I found both answers and inspiration in this book. September 15, 2009
Sayyebo (USA)
This book was recommended to me by a grief counselor. Based on the title, I felt well-qualified to read it.

In less than a decade, my family (mom, dad, me) suffered a relentless stream of 'bad things':

an armed hijacking
a series of botched surgeries resulting in a permanent colostomy bag for my mom
a horrific car accident - again, my mom
3 brutal assaults on my elderly dad (he was attacked/robbed/tied up/beaten in separate incidents)
the theft of both of our vehicles
2 home burglaries
...and a handful of other incidents too complex to mention.

In an even crueler twist of fate, the car accident occurred just 6 weeks after my mom and dad's retirement, and my mom's injuries pretty much guaranteed that their eagerly-anticipated retirement would be nothing more than a series of traumatic hospital visits.

Then I lost two of the people I loved most in the world within 5 months of each. One was my mom.

My dad and I were left grasping for answers, angry and resentful. I read Rabbi Kushner's book 18 months after my mom died, in a state of desperation and misery, hoping to make sense of why so much horror was heaped onto one small family of essentially good, compassionate, people.

His answers were not quite what I was expecting - but they certainly made sense to me. Kushner's conclusion - that bad things happen for reasons unrelated to God's will - seems to have lead many reviewers to claim that Kushner's God is impotent. I disagree. He did not say that God could NOT help us. He simply said that God could not help us by arranging for our tragedies to be miraculously taken away. Instead, He could provide us with the strength and courage to cope with them if we asked for it. (Besides, if God halted the death of everyone who got mentioned in a prayer, none of us would ever move on and complete our spiritual journey).

I gained something good from every chapter. Reading this book has definitely helped me edge forward in this difficult journey called 'grief'.

Although I benefited from the book very much, there were one or two points I was at odds with. The first was his multiple references to the fact that when bad things happen to good people, they somehow end up believing that they must have deserved it. My family never, ever believed that we deserved any of the bad things that came our way.

I also disagreed with his assessment of animals as simple beings, operating purely by instinct. My experience with animals in Africa, as well as my own pets, has taught me that animals are a lot more complex than we give them credit for - and are highly capable of emotion. I believe Rabbi Kushner will one day look back in amazement at how much he misunderstood them.

I am grateful I read this book. I came away feeling more empowered and less like a victim, more likely to pray for strength and less likely to ask for miracles - although I do believe in them. I believe I am a better person for having weathered these things, although not necessarily a happier person. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who has had to cope with more misery than they feel they can deal with - but if you're heavily religious, you may have to approach it with an open mind.

4 out of 5 stars

Always keep a supply on hand September 11, 2009
Lexie (Mt Clemens, MI, USA)

I always have extras on my shelf to give to others in need. I read it years ago and it was a great help to me during the long-term illness and death of my sweetheart husband. We didn't deserve what happened to him; however, it was the luck of the draw. Daily, we prayed for peace within ourselves no matter what happened that day, and God helped us through all of the hard times.

Showing reviews 1-5 of 100

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