The book that you are about to read chronicles five journeys that travel from tragedy to triumph of the human spirit. We have all read Dickens Christmas Carol and O. Henry's Gift of the Magi as works of fiction, but this book shows actual stories, true to life, of people in dire situations who are relieved by small acts of kindness. Each story documents a person or family in need of emotional help, material help and sometimes both. The Gift is in the Giving shows how by offering a minimum of compassion to others, the happiness you bring returns to you tenfold. Throughout my life, I have had the great honor and pleasure of meeting people whom the goodness of life has ignored, and was able to make a positive difference in their lives. It didn't take much money or time, but just presenting a caring attitude and offering a little bit of yourself for the benefit of others can change your little part of the world for the better. I hope that you enjoy reading The Gift is in the Giving as much as I enjoyed living it. Author profile I am a husband, a father and a firefighter for over 32 years; all three of which I am proud. As a child, my father (also a firefighter) instilled in me the belief that those who have been given much in life owe a debt to those whom fortune has been less kind. It is through these lessons that I learned how helping others brings more happiness and satisfaction than acquiring material goods ourselves.