"The quality of human life on our planet is nothing more than the sum total of our daily interactions with one another. Each time we help, and each time we harm, we have a dramatic impact on our world. Because we are human, some of our interactions will go wrong, and then we will hurt or be hurt, or both. It is the nature of being human, and it is unavoidable. Forgiveness is the way we set those interactions right. It is the way mend tears in the social fabric. It is the way we stop our human community from unraveling." This powerful statement is from Desmond Tutu, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984 and former chairman of South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and his daughter Mpho, executive director of the Tutu Institute for Prayer and Pilgrimage in Washington, D. C. Their last book together was Made for Goodness and Why This All Makes a Difference.

The Book of Forgiving is an invitation for all us to walk the path of forgiveness. The authors are both priests who believe that "there is no one who is irredeemable, no situation that is without hope, and no crime that cannot be forgiven." The Tutus do a fine job with charts and summaries on why we need to forgive and what forgiveness is not before they arrive at their fourfold path of forgiveness:

• Telling the Story
• Naming the Hurt
• Granting Forgiveness
• Renewing or Releasing the Relationship.

Using their own experiences and the stories of others, the Tutus end with an affirmation of self- forgiveness.

For more insights from this extraordinary father and daughter team, check out The Tutu Global Forgiveness Challenge, a free, 30-day online event to help everyone learn how to forgive in their lives; it starts on May 4, 2014. Each day the participants will receive an email from the Archbishop and Mpho Tutu with inspirational stories, practical exercises, and links to join an online forgiveness community. The Challenge will also include interviews with forgiveness experts, heroes, celebrities, and leaders. To learn more and register go to www.ForgivenessChallenge.com.