Skip to Main Content (Press Enter)

When Bad Things Happen to Good People

By Harold S. Kushner

By Harold S. Kushner

By Harold S. Kushner

By Harold S. Kushner

By Harold S. Kushner
Read by Harold S. Kushner

By Harold S. Kushner
Read by Harold S. Kushner

By Harold S. Kushner
Read by Harold S. Kushner

By Harold S. Kushner
Read by Harold S. Kushner

Best Seller
Paperback $15.00

Aug 24, 2004 | ISBN 9781400034727

Ebook $12.99

Dec 18, 2007 | ISBN 9780307430205

Audiobook Download $14.00

Oct 06, 2009 | 284 Minutes

Audiobook Download $6.50

Jul 05, 2000 | 38 Minutes

All Formats
+
    When Bad Things Happen to Good People by Harold S. Kushner
    Paperback $15.00
    Aug 24, 2004 | ISBN 9781400034727

    Buy from Other Retailers:

    See All Formats (3) +

    Paperback
    –

    • Paperback $15.00

      Aug 24, 2004 | ISBN 9781400034727

      Buy from Other Retailers:

    Ebook
    +

    • Ebook

      Dec 18, 2007 | ISBN 9780307430205

      Buy from Other Retailers:

    Audio (2)
    +

    Buy the Audiobook Download:

    About When Bad Things Happen to Good People

    #1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER • The inspirational classic from a renowned spiritual leader that ”offers a moving and humane approach to understanding life’s windstorms” (Elisabeth Kübler-Ross).

    When Harold Kushner’s three-year-old son was diagnosed with a degenerative disease that meant the boy would only live until his early teens, he was faced with one of life’s most difficult questions: Why, God? Years later, Rabbi Kushner wrote this straightforward, elegant contemplation of the doubts and fears that arise when tragedy strikes. In these pages, Kushner shares his wisdom as a rabbi, a parent, a reader, and a human being. Often imitated but never superseded, When Bad Things Happen to Good People is a classic that offers clear thinking and consolation in times of sorrow.

    About When Bad Things Happen to Good People

    #1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER • The inspirational classic from a renowned spiritual leader that ”offers a moving and humane approach to understanding life’s windstorms” (Elisabeth Kübler-Ross).

    When Harold Kushner’s three-year-old son was diagnosed with a degenerative disease that meant the boy would only live until his early teens, he was faced with one of life’s most difficult questions: Why, God? Years later, Rabbi Kushner wrote this straightforward, elegant contemplation of the doubts and fears that arise when tragedy strikes. In these pages, Kushner shares his wisdom as a rabbi, a parent, a reader, and a human being. Often imitated but never superseded, When Bad Things Happen to Good People is a classic that offers clear thinking and consolation in times of sorrow.

    About When Bad Things Happen to Good People

    Offers a moving and humane approach to understanding life’s windstorms.Raises many questions that will challenge your mind and test your faith regarding the ultimate questions of life and death.

    About When Bad Things Happen to Good People

    As a young theology student, Harold Kushner puzzled over the Book of Job. As a small-town rabbi he counseled other people through pain and grief. But not until he learned that his three-year-old son, Aaron, would die in his early teens of a rare disease did he confront one of life’s most difficult questions: Where do we find the resources to cope when tragedy strikes?

    "I knew that one day I would write this book," says Rabbi Kushner. "I would write it out of my own need to put into words some of the most important things I have come to believe and know. And I would write it to help other people who might one day find themselves in a similar predicament. I am fundamentally a religious man who has been hurt by life, and I wanted to write a book that could be given to the person who has been hurt by life, and who knows in his heart that if there is justice in the world, he deserved better. . . . If you are such a person, if you want to believe in God’s goodness and fairness but find it hard because of the things that have happened to you and to people you care about, and if this book helps you do that, then I will have succeeded in distilling some blessing out of Aaron’s pain and tears."

    Since its original publication in 1981, When Bad Things Happen to Good People has brought solace and hope to millions. In his new preface to this anniversary edition, Rabbi Kushner relates the heartwarming responses he has received over the last two decades from people who have found inspiration and comfort within these pages.

    Read An Excerpt

    Reading Guide

    Read An Excerpt

    Reading Guide

    Read An Excerpt

    Reading Guide

    Read An Excerpt

    Reading Guide

    Listen to a sample from When Bad Things Happen to Good People

    Also by Harold S. Kushner

    Nine Essential Things I've Learned About Life
    The Book of Job
    Conquering Fear
    Overcoming Life's Disappointments
    The Lord Is My Shepherd
    See all books by Harold S. Kushner

    Also by Harold S. Kushner

    Nine Essential Things I've Learned About Life
    The Book of Job
    Conquering Fear
    Overcoming Life's Disappointments
    The Lord Is My Shepherd
    See all books by Harold S. Kushner

    Also by Harold S. Kushner

    Nine Essential Things I've Learned About Life
    The Book of Job
    Conquering Fear
    Overcoming Life's Disappointments
    The Lord Is My Shepherd
    See all books by Harold S. Kushner

    Also by Harold S. Kushner

    Nine Essential Things I've Learned About Life
    The Book of Job
    Conquering Fear
    Overcoming Life's Disappointments
    The Lord Is My Shepherd
    See all books by Harold S. Kushner

    About Harold S. Kushner

    Harold S. Kushner is rabbi laureate of Temple Israel in Natick, Massachusetts, having long served that congregation. He is best known as the author of When Bad Things Happen to Good People.

    About Harold S. Kushner

    Harold S. Kushner is rabbi laureate of Temple Israel in Natick, Massachusetts, having long served that congregation. He is best known as the author of When Bad Things Happen to Good People.

    About Harold S. Kushner

    Harold S. Kushner is rabbi laureate of Temple Israel in Natick, Massachusetts, having long served that congregation. He is best known as the author of When Bad Things Happen to Good People.

    About Harold S. Kushner

    Harold S. Kushner is rabbi laureate of Temple Israel in Natick, Massachusetts, having long served that congregation. He is best known as the author of When Bad Things Happen to Good People.

    Product Details

    Category: Religion | Personal Growth | Philosophy

    Paperback | $15.00
    Published by Anchor
    Aug 24, 2004 | 176 Pages | 5-3/16 x 8 | ISBN 9781400034727

    Category: Religion | Personal Growth | Philosophy

    Ebook | $12.99
    Published by Anchor
    Dec 18, 2007 | 176 Pages | ISBN 9780307430205

    Category: Religion | Personal Growth | Philosophy | Audiobooks

    Audiobook Download | $14.00
    Published by Random House Audio
    Oct 06, 2009 | 284 Minutes | ISBN 9780307701992

    Category: Religion | Personal Growth | Philosophy | Audiobooks

    Audiobook Download | $6.50
    Published by Random House Audio
    Jul 05, 2000 | 38 Minutes | ISBN 9780553755848
    YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

    Praise

    “Whether religious or not, this book will speak because it touches–profoundly, but simply–on questions no parent and no person can avoid.” —Harvey Cox, Harvard Divinity School

    “When Bad Things Happen to Good People offers a moving and humane approach to understanding life’s windstorms.” —Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

    “A touching, heartwarming book for those of us who must contend with suffering, and that, of course, is all of us.” —Andrew M. Greeley

    “This is a book all humanity needs. It will help you understand the painful vicissitudes of this life and enable you to stand up to them creatively.”  —Norman Vincent Peale

    Looking for More Great Reads?
    21 Books You’ve Been Meaning to Read
    Get the latest updates about Harold S. Kushner
    And go from well-read to best read with book recs, deals and more in your inbox every week.
    And go from well-read to best read with book recs, deals and more in your inbox every week.
    By clicking SIGN UP, I acknowledge that I have read and agree to Penguin Random House’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Use and understand that Penguin Random House collects certain categories of personal information for the purposes listed in that policy, discloses, sells, or shares certain personal information and retains personal information in accordance with the policy. You can opt-out of the sale or sharing of personal information anytime.
    Dismiss
    Thanks!
    Something awesome is on its way.
    Back to Top

    Visit other sites in the Penguin Random House Network

    Raise kids who love to read

    Raise kids who love to read

    Today's Top Books

    Want to know what people are actually reading right now?

     An online magazine for today’s home cook

    An online magazine for today’s home cook