How can compassion, a trait hardwired into our nervouse system and just waiting to be awakened, transform our lives and the world at large. From up-to -the-minute research to timeless spiritual truths, this book weaves a stirring, unforgettable story of the search for kindness in a world that clearly needs it. Can we discover our greatest human potential by studying the exceptionally empathic? Can we increase our own "compassion quotient" with practice? How can we open our hearts to those who have wronged us? And what if the great driving force of our evolution were actually "survival of the kindest?"Drawing from influences as disparate as Buddhist monks and skeptical neuroscientists, homeless activists and interstellar researchers, Barasch creates a riveting, persuasive argument that a simple shift in conscikousness can have a lasting impact on our health, our relationships, and the very fate of the Earth.