Grateful: The Transformative Power of Giving Thanks

Does gratitude simply mean thank you notes and politeness? Bass (Grounded) delves into the spiritual aspects of gratitude and the life and world-changing effects of practicing gratefulness in personal and civic spaces. Her aim is to illustrate that "gratitude is not a transaction of debt and duty. Rather, gratitude is a spiritual awareness and a social structure of gift and response." By weaving a picture of gratitude as both a "me" and a "we" response composed of ethics as well as emotions, the author successfully creates a four-fold picture of thanks as a way of life. Although writing as a Christian, Bass includes other religious and nonreligious viewpoints, asserting that even politics can be transformed by changing from a quid pro quo system to one that is pro bono, based on gifting and gratitude rather than payment and debts. Personal anecdotes and spiritual insights enrich this portrait of gratitude as a goal and way of life.