All these books were, of course, picked with wonderful intentions of long nights spent reading, or of lazing on the porch with a book in hand. As you can imagine, I have done very little of that, and many books I am sad to say were returned without having been read. This book, however, made it through the very narrow filter of the books I've had time to read.
Of all the books that didn't make the cut, I'm very glad this was the one I took time to read. The Kindness Diaries are the record of Leon Logothetis's adventures around the world with no money and a yellow motorbike as his only means of transportation. The idea was that he wanted to make it around the globe relying solely on the kindness of other people, who he hoped would give him money, food, gas, and shelter so that he may be able to continue on his travels. He did have his own reward system, in which he helped people who helped him. One homeless man in Pittsburgh provided him with a safe place to stay for the night, and in return Leon gave him the funds to get an apartment and enroll in culinary school to pursue his dream of becoming a chef. All the stories, be they in Europe, Africa, Asia or America, are like that.
This book was inspiring, to say the least. Some of Leon's adventures seem too surreal to be true, and in return the gifts that he gives people seem extraordinary. Yet the concept of the book is simple, and frankly, quite beautiful. He was able to travel around the globe, hitting almost every continent, thanks only to the kindness of complete strangers in foreign countries.
If you need a feel-good book, or you need a hefty dose of inspiration, or even if you just want a good book about a good man, I cannot recommend The Kindness Diaries enough.
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