Name: When bad things happen to good people
ISBN: 9780330268271

When bad things happen to good people

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 Often imitated but never superseded, When Bad Things Happen to Good Peopleis a classic that offers clear thinking and consolation in times of sorrow. Since its original publication in 1981,When Bad Things Happen to Good Peoplehas brought solace and hope to millions of readers and its author has become a nationally known spiritual leader.

What Hacker News says

scottsheaDec 2012

I think When Bad Things Happen to Good People is an excellent way to help reconcile jealousy and anger at the fortune of others/misfortune in ourselves

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fsethiNov 2012

Some old that I have re-read, some new, all worth your time:

Old Man And The Sea - Ernest Hemingway

IQ84 - Haruki Murakami

The Last Lecture - Randy Pausch

On Writing - Stephen King

When Bad Things Happen To Good People - Harold Kushner

Catcher In The Rye - J.D. Salinger

Notes To Myself - Hugh Prather

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edw519Oct 2009

"The Jungle" by Upton Sinclair

"When Bad Things Happen to Good People" by Harold Kushner

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edw519Jun 2008

"This community means a lot to me."

And you mean a lot to this community. You are not alone.

My condolences for your loss.

I have been in this position several times, so I'll share my thoughts, which may or may not help. That's the biggest thing: everybody's different.

In my experience, there's not a whole lot of healing that happens. Time does not heal. Time "eases". So you have to let that happen organically. Postpone your finals. Put your startup on hold. It's OK. (OTOH, some people need something to do but that's not me.)

Get another room. You shouldn't have to relive that day every time you go home.

Be supportive of your roommate's family; they need you now. Do whatever you can to help them .

Get counseling. You don't need Dr. Phil or Oprah. Just a stranger with some credentials who knows when to listen and when to shut up. You'll probably want to talk, so you'll need a good listener who'll know just what to say to help you along your path. I have found group sessions especially helpful; it was always comforting to know that others were going through (almost) the same thing.

Most of all, let things happen as they do. Some of us find comfort sooner than others. Don't be surprised by how you react; you just don't know.

All any of us ever gets is x days. Although your life will never be the same, I wish you the best in resuming living your x-n days as soon as you're ready.

(If you find help from books, an excellent resource is "When Bad Things Happen to Good People" by Harold Kushner.)

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