UnSelfie

Educator Michele Borba argues that empathy is a key predictor of which children will thrive, and that a self-absorption she calls Selfie Syndrome has created an empathy crisis among the young. She notes that teens are 40 percent less empathetic than earlier generations, and links low empathy to bullying, cheating, weaker school performance and less resilience, and later to poorer collaboration and problem-solving. Borba's answer is a nine-step plan for parents and educators to build empathy from birth through young adulthood, from teaching toddlers to comfort one another to helping teens stand up to bullies. Her goal is children who succeed and are also kind, moral, courageous and resilient.

Chelsea Frank, founder of Life and Limb Gel, put it on a list of books that shaped her perspective on life, love and happiness.