I Feel You: The Surprising Power of Extreme Empathy

Beam (creative writing, New York Univ.; To the End of June: The Intimate Life of American Foster Care and Transparent) discusses empathy in depth in this latest offering. The author first defines the concept and then goes on to discuss its role in marketing today. She presents possible biological origins of putting oneself in another's shoes by documenting past lab experiments on monkeys and human CT scans and discusses psychological experiments that reveal how compassionate people tend to be in different situations. She also writes about visiting classes in which new methods are being used to teach the quality to children. In addition, she writes about empathy in the justice system and prisons, and explains how an increased amount of this attribute can help people reform. Finally, Truth and Reconciliation Commissions are introduced. These groups are trying to use feeling for one another to heal victims of oppression, specifically Native Americans in Maine, and family members of victims of apartheid in South Africa.