The book that you are about to read chronicles five journeys that travel from tragedy to triumph, illustrating the power of the human spirit. We have all read Dicken's Christmas Carol, and O. Henry's Gift of the Magi as works of fiction, but this book shows actual stories, true to life stories of people in dire situations, who were relieved by small acts of kindness. Each story documents a person or family in need of emotional or material help, and sometimes both, encountered in my line of duty as a fire fighter for the past 32 years. The Gift is in the Giving shows how by offering a minimum of compassion to others, the happiness you bring returns to you tenfold. "I hope you enjoy reading The Gift is in the Giving as much as I enjoyed living it." - Bill Arienti