YOU: THE STING OPERATIVE

Ferris presents a handbook for conducting undercover “sting” operations to make communities better.

In these pages, the author presents a tactical guide for volunteers in the “Sting-Ops Underground” of the “Beeing Blessed Project” to go out and materially improve their communities and the world at large. “We don’t have to wait for ‘someday when’ to make an impact and improve our lives!” she writes. “We can begin right now!” Using the example of the humble bee, Ferris reminds her readers that bees don’t set out to change the world; “they’re just minding their own beeswax (literally!), taking care of their hivemates and home.” Likewise, humans don’t need to think in grand or world-changing terms to begin improving things and doing good in their immediate vicinities, and the author lists and elaborates on 100 of these fixes that are possible to implement with very little or no outlay of money or resources. This list includes ideas like “compost at home and at work,” “tell a good, clean joke,” “hand out cold drinks to outdoor workers on a hot day,” and “write a letter to the boss of someone you've noticed doing excellent, standout work.” In each case, Ferris lays out the target, the mission objective, and all the gear that would be necessary to get the task done.

The text enumerates many small acts of common courtesy that aren’t so common anymore, things like holding the door open for someone else or preparing food for a grieving family. Thanks to the author’s exuberant punning and uniformly upbeat tone, she not only outlines the practical technicalities of how each of these “ops” can be done, but also generates the enthusiasm to go out and do them. In the case of the operation in which one is directed to surprise the family of a deployed soldier with some kind of treat, readers are told to “do a little behind-the-scenes ninja work to find out what will really bless this family and how you can help them in a meaningful way” and cautions her readers about giving the game away: “I know you’re excited, but keep it a secret until the surprise is ready to be revealed!” Ferris thoughtfully includes “mission debriefing” sections after each op to help readers assess their own personal reactions to how the operation went and practical details about costs and any snags the team encountered. The author’s energy when exhorting readers to go MAD (Make A Difference) is infectious, and the attainable nature of most of these goals reinforces the book’s repeated contention that all of these ways of making life a bit better are well within the grasp of most people provided they’re working with their “hivemates.” Ferris’ older readers, particularly those who grew up in small towns, will find many of her “ops” self-evident—a great many of these missions are practices good neighbors used to follow as a matter of course. But younger and more urban readers may be refreshingly amazed by how much power they have to make their neighborhoods better places.

An uplifting, real-world handbook to practical acts of kindness.