Miriam Raider-Roth
In this stellar book, Elizabeth Segal offers a cross disciplinary picture of social empathy. Like the periodic table, she distills empathy to its essential elements, helping readers understand the essence of empathic thinking and living. This book is a must read for all concerned about how to educate ourselves and the next generation to live an empathic life.
Caroline Wellbery
Social Empathy expands on what we know about interpersonal empathy and strikes right at the heart of today’s partisan conflicts. In readable, humane, and informative prose, this book explains how we can overcome tribal instincts and forge the supportive, meaningful connections we need in order to thrive in today’s global environment.
William M. Snyder
Elizabeth Segal’s groundbreaking work on social empathy explains how we can expand our capacity to appreciate the social contexts and lived experiences of diverse others. Given growing diversity and urbanization in countries worldwide, this book could not be more timely or urgent for strengthening public problem-solving and enhancing our collective wellbeing.
Times Higher Education - Constantine Sandis
This important book deserves to be taken seriously by anybody interested in social welfare.
Sarah Garlington
This book brings together important ideas about how we relate to one another and make decisions about the society we live in. Using social empathy to frame community decision making such as social policies helps us understand our citizenship responsibilities. Especially in times of extreme political divisiveness, we need to be reminded of the consequences of a lack of social empathy—in our individual relationships, communities, and national discourse. Anyone who is asking difficult questions about divisiveness in their own community will find Segal’s ideas useful in reflecting on questions of why and what next.
Choice
The strength of this book is Segal's argument that the psychological literature on interpersonal empathy should be expanded to include a macro-sociological level.
Stevo's Book of the Week - Steve Brock
A clear and useful explanation of an often misunderstood concept, Social Empathy brings together sociology, psychology, social work, and cognitive neuroscience to illustrate how to become better advocates for justice.
Choice - K. M. McKinley
The strength of this book is Segal's argument that the psychological literature on interpersonal empathy should be expanded to include a macro-sociological level.
FEBRUARY 2019 - AudioFile
Listeners hear a discussion of how people deal with those they assume to be fundamentally different from themselves. Explaining how individuals move from sympathy to empathy to social empathy, the author navigates the values, challenges, and possibilities that develop when society teaches a more thoughtful approach to difference. Celeste Oliva's narration waxes and wanes. Sometimes she can be emphatic and deliver the intention behind Segal words, but at other times her voice is languid, and she sounds disengaged. The performance does not do much to invigorate listeners with Segal's much needed discussion about bridging divides people often think are unbridgeable. The author’s argument for social empathy is rooted in research from fields such as psychology, sociology, brain science. L.E. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine
