Empathy

Empathy by Roman Krznaric.

My book Empathy: Why It Matters, and How to Get It is published by Penguin Random House (note that the first edition was titled Empathy: A Handbook for Revolution).

Buy the UK edition at Amazon UK and the US edition at Amazon USA, or at your local bookstore.

Also available in KoreanCroatian, PortugueseDutch, Turkish, HungarianFrench, Chinese (mainland China version) and Chinese (Taiwan version) Coming soon in Japanese, Spanish and Italian.

Alongside the book, I’ve launched two projects: an online Empathy Library and the world’s first Empathy Museum. Please visit them!

About Empathy

Are you ready to join the Empathy Revolution?

Roman Krznaric’s new book shows how we can boost our empathy and use it to improve our relationships, enhance our creativity, rethink our priorities in life, and tackle social problems from everyday prejudice to violent conflicts. Empathy, Krznaric argues, has the power to transform relationships, from the personal to the political, and create fundamental social change.

Through encounters with actors, activists, groundbreaking designers, undercover journalists, nurses, bankers and neuroscientists, Krznaric defines a new breed of adventurer. He sets out the six life-enhancing habits of highly empathic people, whose skills enable them to connect with others in extraordinary ways.

Drawing on over 10 years of research, you will discover how babies can teach empathy, what happens at a ‘human library’, how our empathic brains work and encounter the world’s first Empathy Museum. Krznaric also tackles the big questions: Can we empathise too much? How is empathy different from sympathy or compassion? And can empathy be used to manipulate people?

Krznaric argues our brains are wired for social connection: empathy is at the heart of who we are. It’s an essential, transforming quality we must develop for the 21st Century.

Selected reviews

‘Empathy inspires with a unique combination of teaching, storytelling, and a serious call to action.’ Brené Brown, author of the New York Times #1 Bestseller Daring Greatly

‘A powerful case for empathy as the key to a better life and better world.’ Matthew Taylor, Chief Executive, Royal Society of the Arts

‘Where would humanity be without empathy? Our lives would be disconnected, our societies would fall apart. Growing planetary integration calls for us to pay more attention to this ancient mammalian capacity, and Roman Krznaric is our expert guide to explain how it works and how to fix the deficit that faces humanity today.’ Frans de Waal, author of The Age of Empathy

‘Authentic relationships require us to see the world through the eyes of others. This engaging and insightful book helps us do just that.’ John Gray, author of Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus

‘A powerful argument for the importance of cultivating empathy in ourselves.’ Jill Suttie, Greater Good Science Center. One of the top books of 2014.

Selected media

RSA Animate: The Power of Outrospection, a 10 min animated video with over 750,000 views (see also the original talk on which it is based)

TEDx Athens: How to Start an Empathy Revolution.

Guardian: How My Children Became My Greatest Teachers.

Greater Good Science Center: The Six Habits of Highly Empathic People. This is my all-time most popular article on empathy.

BBC News Magazine: Can You Teach People to Have Empathy?

New York Times: 5 People Who Can Help You Stregthen Your Empathy Muscle

Yes! Magazine: Empathy Heroes – Who Are the Greatest Empathic Adventurers of All Time?

Open Democracy: Welcome to the Empathy Wars

New Humanist: Is Empathy the Hidden Motor Force of Human History?

Empathy Museum selected media: The Independent, BBC World Service, CBC TV Canada

Empathy Library selected media:  Yes! Magazine, Christian Science Monitor, The Bookseller

For more articles and reviews, please visit the General Media page.