Made for Goodness: And Why This Makes All the Difference [Hardcover]

Desmond Tutu (Author), Mpho Tutu (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 9, 2010

Over the years the same questions get asked of Desmond Tutu, the archbishop, Nobel Peace Prize winner, and veteran of the moral movement that ended apartheid in South Africa: "How can you be so hopeful after witnessing so much evil?" "Why are you so sure goodness will triumph in the end?" This book is his answer.

Now, more than any other time in history, our world needs this message: that we are made for goodness and it is up to us to live up to our destiny.

We recognize Archbishop Tutu from the headlines as an inspirational figure who has witnessed some of the world's most sinister moments and chosen to be an ambassador of reconciliation amid political, diplomatic, and natural disasters. Now, we get a glimpse into his personal spirituality—and a better understanding of the man behind a lifetime of good works. In this intimate and personal sharing of his heart, written with his daughter, Episcopal priest Mpho Tutu, Tutu engages his reader with touching stories from his own life, as well as grisly memories from his work in the darkest corners of the world. There, amid the darkness, he calls us to hope, to joy, and to claim the goodness that we were made for. Tutu invites us to take on the disciplines of goodness, the practices that are key to finding fulfillment, meaning, and happiness for our lives.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Nobel Peace Prize–winner Desmond Tutu, who lived through South African apartheid and helped to clean up its criminal consequences by chairing the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission, could write a grocery list and people would get something out of it. With his daughter Mpho, an Episcopal priest in Washington, D.C., the retired Anglican archbishop writes a relatively personal book about his fundamental, faith-based beliefs about human nature: people are basically good because they are made in God's image. He maintains this in the face of the horrific events he has witnessed in his country and elsewhere, and he bases his belief in part on simple experiences throughout his life that have involved family and, significantly, his failures. Tutu's humility is striking; he is comfortable in his own skin despite being raised in a culture that officially deemed his skin color second-class. This book is not nearly as dramatic or compelling as No Future Without Forgiveness, based on his work with the Reconciliation Commission; on the other hand, it is heartening to know, or remember, that faith can be learned, reinforced, and expressed as much around the dinner table as in the public square.
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From Booklist

As head of South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Nobel Peace Prize winner Archbishop Tutu reached a world audience in his call for forgiveness for apartheid perpetrators who confessed to horrific evil and said they were sorry. Writing here with his daughter, also a minister, he insists that, with all the horror he has heard about and witnessed, We are fundamentally good. Racism has to be learned. It is not an instinct. Sin is real. But goodness is normative. Even readers not focused on the religious debate will be drawn to this account for the insider’s view of the history and the personal struggle with forgiveness. Inspired by heroes of many faiths, including Father Trevor Huddleston; Afrikaaans cleric Beyers Naude; the kids in the 1976 Soweto riots; the parents of murdered Amy Biehl; and, of course, by Mandela, Gandhi, King, and Mother Teresa, Tutu is also haunted by his own failure to forgive his father before he died. The personal perspective will spark discussion about the bigger issues of morality, politics, and religion. If God is all-powerful, why do we suffer? --Hazel Rochman

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: HarperOne; 1 edition (March 9, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061706590
• ISBN-13: 978-0061706592
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #179,667 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Desmond Mpilo Tutu won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984 and was only the second black person ever to receive it. In 1986 he was elected archbishop of Cape Town, the highest position in the Anglican Church in South Africa. In 1994, after the end of apartheid and the election of Nelson Mandela, Tutu was appointed as chair of South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission to investigate apartheid-era crimes. His policy of forgiveness and reconciliation has become an international example of conflict resolution, and a trusted method of postconflict reconstruction. He is currently the chair of The Elders, where he gives vocal defense of human rights and campaigns for the oppressed.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Becoming Fully Alive!, March 16, 2010

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Robert V. Taylor (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Made for Goodness: And Why This Makes All the Difference (Hardcover)

Reading this inspiring book is like seeing a sunrise for the first time! Desmond Tutu, joined by his daughter Mpho, invite us to imagine a way of living that brings us fully alive; a way of being that says, "You matter" because your are loved by the Holy One for your existence. They invite us beyond the smallness of divisions and suspicion into the gladness of everyday life. Our own goodness has an impact way beyond anything we might imagine! Through it we remember that "I am because we are" - we are part of the oneness of the human family and Creation. No matter your religion or spirituality, this book invites a life of gladness in which love and compassion are not merely concepts, but part of our daily living. No wonder Tutu is the iconic spiritual voice of hope! The book is a keeper! This is spritual wisdom for being fully alive and engaged. Robert V. Taylor [...]

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wisdom from a Man Who Has Lived It, March 15, 2010

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Big D (Auburn, AL. USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Made for Goodness: And Why This Makes All the Difference (Hardcover)

Want to know the meaning of life? Read this book.

Is mankind inherently good? Inherently bad? Read this book.

Inherently selfish or inherently good? Read this book.

Ever think about the inter-connectedness of all people? Read this book.

More than an inspirational classic, this is a wisdom classic from one, make that two, who have lived it.

This book is more than words. It is the story of a life well lived and what we can learn from that life.

It is a story of forgivenss, reconciliation and hope for people of all faiths, nationalities and thought.

It is a good book, a very good book. A book that gives hope and promise to all.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Midwife to meaning, June 1, 2010

By 

Harold B. Confer (Washington, DC USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Made for Goodness: And Why This Makes All the Difference (Hardcover)

For people unfamiliar with the struggle for liberation in South Africa this is a must read. Because some of the chapters contain sermon material of Desmond Tutu there tends to be some repetition of themes. The best part of every chapter is the concluding poem. These may well be Mpo's contributions as the rest seems to be written in his voice. It is a delightful book by one of the most important leaders of non-violent liberation, peace and reconciliation in the world.