Book Review by Ginna BB Gordon, Artist/Author/Publisher
“I did not know
The rude cashier’s son
Was expelled from school yesterday
I did not know
The careless driver who pulled in front of me
Just got word that his wife was in the ICU
I did not know
My sarcastic remark
Had hurt my friend so deeply
I do know
That I easily forget
How tender we all are
I do know
That erring on the side of kindness
Never hurt a soul”
So begins Dr. Frank De Luca’s touching and informative new book, Kindness–A guide for humans based on the Enneagram–See the people in your life with clarity and compassion. Although Kindness is based on the Enneagram, which offers a guide to nine fundamental ways of viewing life, it is not a course in the Enneagram. Rather, Kindness shows how a basic understanding of these nine personality types can open your heart to a compassionate way of living; with your friends, family, colleagues and even complete strangers.
Two locals collaborated on the creation of this colorful and profound book filled with wisdom about human nature.
Dr. De Luca’s partner, photographic artist Ken Gregg, designed the overall layout of Kindness and artist Nancy Bardos created illustrations depicting the nine personality types. The stories and images on each page bring the personalities to life.
Kindness illuminates how we are alike and how we are different. It offers ways to get along with and appreciate the people in our lives. De Luca’s goal is to open our hearts to the wholeness and goodness inside us; quirks, wisdom and all.
He says, “When you lead from the heart, people feel it. They feel seen, not judged. They relax. As they relax, they reveal more of their true self. They lighten up. They relax more. You meet human to human in the most wonderful way.
“This is kindness.”