Start with Hello

(And Other Simple Ways to Live as Neighbors)

A beautifully written guide for becoming neighborly and building community through small acts in daily life. Author Shannan Martin shares relatable, easy steps to try where you live. The pages are filled with real life examples that will put a smile on your face and fill your heart with joy. Read this to become more authentically connected in meaningful ways to the people around you.

Author: Shannan Martin
Year of Publishing: 2021
Number of Pages: 224

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Reviews

sweety95838 (verified owner) – July 14, 2023

it was very helpful and with detailed instructions along with shortcuts.
nunnj (verified owner) – July 18, 2023

Read this book in one day….so fun and engaging and filled with fun ways to encourage and equip you to take baby steps towards building friendship and community around you!
Peighton Allen (verified owner) – August 2, 2023

A well written guide for building community through small acts every day.
sweety95838 (verified owner) – August 12, 2023

I highly recommend this beautiful book to anyone who would like some encouragement and what it could look like to be a neighbor.
mingomom (verified owner) – August 20, 2023

I enjoyed this one and have to say, I am keeping it on my shelf. I typically pass my books on to friends or family members when I finish them but the exceptional ones I keep for either reference or rereads on a gloomy day. This one surpasses expectations and I would suggest anyone looking for ways to connect or make your work/personal/neighborhood networks grow, pick a copy of this book up.
ashleyjohnsonbend (verified owner) – August 30, 2023

Detailed, have used this with my patients needing exposure therapy.
pauljohnsonbend (verified owner) – September 17, 2023

Easy read, Easy lessons, Easy nudges to get started!
julieethompson (verified owner) – October 9, 2023

Loved it, it was full of lots of good ideas for small things you can do
mcclendons4 (verified owner) – October 9, 2023

Practical and easy ways to find the connections we desire from our neighbors, whether they be across the street or across our town. The author knows exactly where we fall short and addresses the reasons we are afraid to reach out. Great book!
debbiews (verified owner) – October 12, 2023

This is a quick and delightful read filled with suggestions on ways to build community starting with your neighbors.
RobynW (verified owner) – October 21, 2023

Written for a narrow audience, but has value for those specific readers. There’s a kind heart and good intentions at the center of the book.
SChannell (verified owner) – October 28, 2023

Helpful book for someone looking to connect with their neighbors.
Kristine Kjarval (verified owner) – November 10, 2023

Interesting read
Kristine Kjarval (verified owner) – November 11, 2023

Was curious how this author’s angle was going to be. I felt like I was being talked down to and assumed to be xenophobic …..fear of people from other countries (foreigner/stranger) “the other”. She questions the reader:
1. Do you live in a place segregated by race. Do your neighbors look like you?
2. Do they express faith as you do? Do they vote as you do?
3. Have you ever invited someone of a different race or ethnicity into your home? Or a guest to theirs.
4. Do you nurture relationships with those who qualify for government assistance? Those who fight addiction? People in the LGBTQ+ community? Disabled community? The sullen kid around the corner?
I’m uncertain about who the author’s intended audience is because it comes off as a training manual for assumed social idiots.
Pthought (verified owner) – November 26, 2023

I was looking for ideas on how to get to know my new neighbors after I moved, and this had good, practical suggestions. It also encourages reflection beyond just a list of ideas on how to connect.
Kyramo (verified owner) – December 11, 2023

Enjoyed this book!
Easy to follow and do. Great tips.
Anne Bernard (verified owner) – December 12, 2023

I agree with the author that we all seek community and to be better connected.
PamSilcox (verified owner) – January 5, 2024

The thoughts/actions are amazing if anyone felt brave enough to go out and do them. I loved the ideas, just not wanting it to be me who initiates the conversation
Heather Brazille (verified owner) – January 10, 2024

I just moved to a small community from a large city and this book is solidifying why we made that move and how to create the tight knit community and life that we were yearning for.
vireogirl (verified owner) – January 13, 2024

I enjoyed this book much more than I expected to. Engaging, with lots of real life, a touch of humor, and clarifying yet funny footnotes. Each chapter compared a realistic goal as greater than the typical goal. Like “Familiar>Fussy” (providing something familiar is better than something that’s fussy).
Each chapter ended with a page focused on actions that can be taken.

The descriptions were almost poetic.
Here’s a lovely quote: “We don’t pursue connection because we know it will be easy. We pursue connection because we believe it multiplies our possibilities for wholeness.
brookedjackson (verified owner) – January 17, 2024

I’ve needed a simple guide like this for a long time. It’s helping me make connections with my neighbors.
Lovetoread53 (verified owner) – January 18, 2024

I love the engaging, humorous at times, and heart felt honesty and vulnerability that makes one evaluate where we truly are individually and as a family or community
vireogirl (verified owner) – February 3, 2024

I enjoyed this book much more than I expected. Engaging, with lots of real life, a touch of humor, and clarifying yet funny footnotes. Each chapter compared a realistic goal as greater than the typical goal. Like “Familiar>Fussy” (providing something familiar is better than something that’s fussy).
Each chapter ended with a page focused on actions that can be taken.
Vanessa (verified owner) – April 17, 2024

“Start with Hello” offers a refreshing perspective on the power of small gestures in building meaningful connections, reminding us that genuine human interaction begins with a simple hello. Through engaging anecdotes and practical advice, it inspires readers to embrace empathy and kindness as catalysts for fostering deeper relationships in both personal and professional realms.
Donna Scott (verified owner) – April 18, 2024

Such a fun book to read. Easily follow the suggestions and apply accordingly.