Book reviews [International Journal of Emotional Education, 13(2)]

Abstract

One aspect that the three books in this reviews section have in common is the absolute dedication of the authors to their topic. Both Kevin Hawkins and Amy Burke, authors of The Mindful Teacher’s Toolkit: Awareness-based Wellbeing in Schools, have worked internationally with children and young people and with teachers in developing awareness-based well-being through mindfulness and social-emotional learning (SEL), so they bring to their book a wealth of experience and deep knowledge of the theory and practice of mindfulness across cultures. Kevin and Amy are also co-founders of MindWell Education - www.mindwell-education.com - a network of resources and ideas for good practice. Similarly, Murli Desai & Sheetal Goel, authors of Child Rights Education for Participation and Development, build on the idealism of the Child Rights and You (CRY) movement founded in India in the 1970s by the late Rippan Kapur who was committed to the values of peace, dignity, tolerance, freedom, equality and justice, as well as child rights principles, such as the right to participation, the right to education, the right to be free of discrimination and violence, and the right to play and recreation. Finally, Ken Rigby, author of Multiperspectivity on School Bullying: One Pair of Eyes is not Enough, has devoted his life to understanding the phenomenon of school bullying through his work as a teacher, as a lecturer, as a trainer and workshop leader, as an author and as a researcher. These authors have a vision of a better world and express their commitment to disseminating their values at a time of acute anxiety about social and political issues and fears for the very future of our environment. Each recognizes the complexity of the issue that they are concerned with. Each is aware that, despite years of research and practice, the challenging issues that they face are not easily resolved. Despite this, with their erudition and commitment, they inspire the reader to continue the struggle against such aspects of the human condition as insensitivity to others’ feelings, abuse of power, lack of self-awareness, perpetration of injustice and social exclusion of vulnerable individuals or groups.