The Compassion Project, Julian Abel
The Compassion Project, Julian Abel
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The Compassion Project
A case for hope and humankindness from the town that beat loneliness

Author: Julian Abel, Lindsay Clarke

Narrator: Paul Panting

Unabridged: 7 hr 7 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Aster

Published: 06/25/2020


Synopsis

'It could... be one of the most dramatic medical breakthroughs of recent decades. It could transform treatment regimes, save lives, and save health services a fortune. Is it a drug? A device? A surgical procedure? No, it's a newfangled intervention called community.' George Monbiot, The Guardian

Frome in Somerset has seen a dramatic fall in emergency hospital admissions since it began a collective project to combat isolation. While emergency admissions to hospitals across Somerset have increased by 29%, incurring a 21% increase in costs, Frome has seen admissions fall by 17%, with a 21% reduction in costs.

Society has developed in such a way to facilitate a drastic malnourishment of community, connection and compassion. This book sets out the case for the effective restoration of the active power of compassion as a widely available, fundamental force for good in all aspects of human life. In the process, it draws attention to research which demonstrates that an innate capacity and need for compassionate behaviour is closely woven into the fabric of our bodies.

But this is also a book with stories to tell - the stories of how, by harnessing the power of compassion in the lives of real men and women, the small English town of Frome has opened up a new approach to the practice of medicine which has improved individual health and welfare while at the same time enhancing the vitality of the whole community. The effects of this approach have proved so beneficial that it has attracted international attention and is now transforming perspectives on issues of healthcare and social welfare across the world.

(p) 2020 Octopus Publishing Group

About Julian Abel

Dr Julian Abel a recently retired consultant in palliative care, has worked for two and a half years as joint-leader of the roll-out of the Frome project with Dr Helen Kingston, the town's lead GP, and is currently leading the implementation of the Frome Model in Wales. He is Vice-President of Public Health Palliative Care International, and as a recognized expert on Compassionate Communities has made presentations on the Frome model in Europe, the USA and Australasia. He publishes regularly in peer-reviewed medical journals.Lindsay Clarke is a Whitbread Award-winning novelist and widely translated freelance writer living in Frome. He has been Writer-in-Residence and Associate Lecturer on the MA Creative Writing Course at Cardiff University, Resident Scholar at Schumacher College, and is a long time Creative Consultant to the educational work of the Pushkin Trust in N. Ireland


Reviews

Goodreads review by Philip on March 22, 2021

A friend told me about this book and then he sent it to me in the post. I think the same friend recommended The Spirit Level, a book that if it didnt change my life, made so many of my beliefs more understandable. He told me it wasnt a great read but that it is a book everyone should read. As a cohe......more

Goodreads review by Deepak on September 30, 2020

A lot of common sense that should be practiced everywhere.........more

Goodreads review by Joanne on January 27, 2021

A very inspiring and hopeful book. If only we can all take to heart the examples provided by Frome, England. An important lesson is that communities can be formed from the example of a few caring and compassionate individuals. This community is a living example of the ripple effect of kindness and c......more

Goodreads review by Louise on May 13, 2022

I'm awarding this book 5 stars purely because of the thinking behind The Compassion Project, its aims, and its accomplishments. I also love the town of Frome (to the extent that I'm moving there, in fact). However, I struggled with this book because it's written in a style that I found obtuse, sayin......more

Goodreads review by Margaret on June 27, 2022

Not sure that I've got the power to implement a city-wide approach to compassion, but this book brings home the difference an individual can make with small acts of compassion as well. Very inspiring and brings hope.......more