I dont think this is too much to expect. My friends congregation was decima-ted by a pernicious virus. Im not asking for that. I dont want to be so busy that Idmiss watching The Andy Griffith Show every lunch hour. But if a few persons couldsee their way clear to contracting a mild disease，that would be considerate. Itwouldnt have to be anything exotic. Once a lady in my meeting was afflicted withBells palsy. It caused her mouth to droop， and she lost all the feeling on one sideof her face. Then，after I spent two glorious days by her bedside，her conditiongrew better and she was completely healed. It was a wonderful illness！Shereceived much-needed bed rest， and I knew the exquisite joy of helpful ministry.
I know Im not alone in my desire to feel useful. If a woman spends twelveyears learning to be a surgeon， I bet shes anxious to perform her first operation. Ifa man goes away to technical school and studies car repair， he probably cant waitto crawl underneath a chassis. Doesnt a free country owe its citizens the right toply their chosen trades？Isnt that what America is all about？
Back when I was growing up，our town had a volunteer fire department. Theyscreeched the fire alarm once a week， and all the firefighters practiced rushing tothe station. After a while，they grew discouraged， because real fires were few andfar between. One of our more thoughtful citizens，on a beautiful autumn weekendafternoon， set his field ablaze，thereby earning the gratitude of many of our towns-people. Our policemen got to block the nearby roads. Our firefighters got to fighta real fire. Our newspaper reporter got to write a story. Our insurance agent gotto process a claim for damaged crops. And the minister at the Baptist church gotto visit the considerate citizen that very evening and profess thanksgiving that noone was hurt. By days end， everyone felt the pleasant exhaustion of usefulnessand went to bed happy. It was one of our towns finer days.
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——北京大学东方文学研究中心特聘教授 方江文
现代人的生活节奏快，压力大，普通百姓又没有时间去看大部头的书籍，《心灵鸡汤》可以给你一份温情，让你在酷暑感到凉爽，在寒冬享受温暖，在春天播下爱的种子，在秋天收获勤奋的果实。我爱《心灵鸡汤》，像爱厨房里新端出的一盘青菜，餐桌上新烧出的一盆老豆腐。愿把《心灵鸡汤》奉献给你的家庭，换来孩子的健康成长，老人的欢声笑语。
——南开大学教授 王宏印
《心灵鸡汤》弘扬“真善美”，以“醒心”为己任。书中叙述的一段段人生经历能感动你，催你潸然泪下，因为那些事就发生在你身边，与你息息相关……失恋的人读之能重振对生活的信心，遭受病痛之苦的人读之似服灵丹妙药，孤独的人读之如沐“关怀”的春雨，丧失亲人者读之会感受到来白四面八方的慰藉……它是一扇窗户，让你了解世界：它是一座桥梁，连接你我他……
——苏州大学外国语学院教授 方华文
《心灵鸡汤》之所以能拨动人的心弦，是因为书中的话语全来自灵魂深处，是“肺腑之言”！人与人之间的隔阂与冷漠必须靠这种“真情”打破和消除——如此，人世间便会温情涌动、冰山消融……读了书中动人的故事，凡是有良知的人，其内心不可能不受到触动——《心灵鸡汤》之功大矣！
——商务印书馆《英语世界》主编 魏令查