First published 2024
Gabriel Reilich presents a collection of 101 authentic stories drawn from Upworthy's vast online community of over 100 million monthly users. The social media platform asked its followers direct questions about human kindness: which stranger helped you most, what teacher transformed your life, when did small gestures matter deeply, who supported you during crisis moments. From millions of responses, Reilich selected personal accounts that demonstrate fundamental human decency. Each chapter combines detailed narrative stories with brief anecdotes and simple illustrations. The tales span everyday acts of compassion, unexpected generosity from strangers, educators who changed lives, and people who appeared during difficult times. These community-sourced stories counter negative news cycles with evidence of widespread goodness. The book serves as both comfort reading and proof that decent people outnumber harmful ones, offering readers emotional refuge during challenging periods.
Genres: social-issues, non-fiction, 21st-century, social-justice
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, real-life-stories
Setting: Upworthy
Period: 21st-century
320 pages · Hardcover · National Geographic