Bringing Kindness to Medicine

A clarion call to kindness... A clarion call is a summons to action. And that is exactly what Bringing Kindness to Medicine sets out to accomplish. Medicine is rich in science and technology, with sophisticated testing methods and mind-boggling therapies-but all too often its marvelous powers are accompanied by a clinician's calm detachment rather than the soft touch of human kindness. Beautifully illustrated with original paintings, this book celebrates, through real-life stories, what kindness means...and how it can change people's lives. "With every story, every picture, the writer and the painter gently affirm our intimate connections to one another and to the earth. Their combined artistry reminds us that the kindnesses we disperse are ultimately the kindnesses we bestow on ourselves. Dr. Freeman's memoir is a story of grace that transcends the field of medicine. He shows us that he has faltered in his efforts to be kind, as surely as we have all faltered. But he also shows us that kindness is redemptive and so transforms even the most troubling of situations." Ann Cook, PhD, Director, National Rural Bioethics Project, Research Professor, Dept of Psychology, University of Montana. "What Dr. Freeman embodies in person comes to life in his artistic and down-to-earth reflections on the practice of medicine and kindness. This small book is not a manual on how to think about kindness but instead it offers provocation to action-to act kindly in the ways we live with others. This book would make a great addition to any course in medicine, ethics, and religion or for anyone who wants to consider how to recover the lost art of practicing kindness." Ann Pederson, PhD, Professor of Religion , Augustana College, Sioux Falls, SD.