Book Review

Book Review : The Mister Rogers Effect by Dr. Anita Knight Kuhnley

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*Disclaimer : I received a copy of this ebook for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Hey hey friends! I hope that you are doing great today. It’s snowing here in the midwest, which…ugh.

Anywho – my review today is for the book The Mister Roger’s Effect by Dr. Anita Knight Kuhnley. This book is available now!

Below you will find the description of the book provided by NetGalley, followed by my personal review and star rating. Enjoy! And as always, thank you for stopping by today. 💛

Description :

In a world increasingly divided by politics and social issues, we need Mister Rogers more than ever. For three decades, his presence was a healing balm to children of all ages. And though he is no longer with us, we can all adopt his attitudes and actions as models for our own lives.

In this uplifting and informative book, Dr. Anita Knight Kuhnley shows us how to use the transformative psychological principles that Mister Rogers masterfully employed to make a difference in our own neighborhoods. Principles such as

– listening for discovery
– validating feelings
– preserving white space
– expressing gratitude
– exercising empathy
– practicing radical acceptance
– using expressions of care

Imagine a world where these seven principles guide our interactions with each other. Sound heavenly? Neighborly? It all starts with you.

My Review :

After reading this book, I think that all adults should be required to go back and watch Mister Rogers. There are so many life lessons that I never picked up on as a kid that were pointed out in this book.

The most valuable of which I think is empathy. As this title pointed out, there is a difference between sympathy and empathy – and while subconsciously I knew that, sometimes in the moment it’s hard to differentiate between the 2 and your words can be quite unhelpful.

Fred Rogers encompassed empathy along with many other great qualities that contributed to the reason why his was a household name.

My major takeaways from this book are to really learn to listen intently without feeling like I need to respond, and to validate the feelings of others without minimizing them. (The old, “oh you think you’re tired – just wait til you have kids!” response. Yikes) Because no one wants to feel like what they’re feeling is any less important than what someone else is going through. Because it’s not – no matter what situation we are in, it’s valid to us so that makes everything we experience valid. I think a lot of times we immediately downplay what someone is going through with just a very cavalier response.

So I’m going to practice making people feel more loved by sitting with them, listening and allowing them to feel and react in a healthy way.

I enjoyed reading this book, and would recommend it if you’re looking for ways to be more neighborly.

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