Elif M. Gokcigdem, Ph.D., is the founder of Empathy-Building Through Museums Initiative. She is an innovative thought leader, a historian of Islamic art, and a museums scholar who is committed to creating fertile grounds of empathy through informal learning platforms to inspire positive behavior change, caring mindsets, and compassionate worldviews that value all of humanity and the planet. Gokcigdem is the author of two visionary books on empathy-building: Fostering Empathy Through Museums (Rowman & Littlefield, 2016), and Designing for Empathy: Perspectives on the Museum Experience (Rowman & Littlefield, 2019). She is the chief curator and co-chair of the world's first museums and empathy summit titled: "Fostering Universal Ethics and Compassion Through Museums with His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama," which took place in October-November, 2018 in Dharamsala, India.

Preface
Elif M. Gokcigdem

Introduction
Zorana Ivcevic

Part I
The Object of Our Empathy: How Do We Perceive the Other?

Chapter 1: The Heart
The Heart's Knowledge Will Never Decay
Dario Robleto

Chapter 2: The Brain
Living Narratives: Neurobiology of Empathy
Erik Jahner

Chapter 3: Conscious Experience
Empathic Space and Shared Consciousness: Museums and the Application of the Spread Mind Theory
Riccardo Manzotti

Chapter 4: The Worldview
Empathy, Narcissism, and Visual Arts Engagement
Sara Konrath

Chapter 5: Augmented Reality
Augmenting Empathy and Decolonizing AR/VR Mediums: How Do We Reimagine Augmented and Virtual Reality Experiences?
Amir Baradaran and Isolde Brielmaier

Part II
The Alchemy of Empathy: Ingredients of Transformative Perspective Change

Chapter 6: Intentionality
Discovering the Power of Art in Forging Empathic Connections
Jon Carfagno

Chapter 7: Intersectionality
Building Transformative Empathetic Experiences to Talk About RACE
Yolanda Moses and Joanne Jones-Rizzi

Chapter 8: Curiosity
Social Inquiry Exhibits: Fostering Social Learning in Museums
Thomas Rockwell, Joshua Gutwill, Heike Winterheld, and Shawn Lani

Chapter 9: Play
Building a Culture for Kindness Through Collaborative Design
Lisa Brahms and Anne Fullenkamp

Chapter 10: Vulnerability
From I to Thou: Transformation Through Traumatic Events
Andreas Heinecke

Chapter 11: Contemplation & Nuance
Found in Translation
Mohamed Zakariya

Chapter 12: Proximity
Designing for Place and People at the Border of Freedom: Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center
Seth Frankel

Chapter 13: Storytelling
Empathy in Environmental Communications: Why People Matter for Saving Nature
Anastasia Khoo, Jamey Anderson, and Conservation International

Chapter 14: Synchronicity
Tap Dancing Towards Empathic Communities
Andrew Nemr

Chapter 15: Awe & Wonder
Designing for Wonder: Losing Your Self at the Museum
Nicholas Bell

Chapter 16: Collective Journeying
Religious Pilgrimage and Sacred Relics as Empathy-Builders
Ari Gordon and Menachem Wecker

Chapter 17: Breaking Bread
Breaking Bread and Building Bridges: Repairing Ruptures in Our Communities
Reverend Jennifer Bailey, Lennon Flowers, Emily May, and The People's Supper

Chapter 18: Optimism & Hope
Optimism to Action: One Smithsonian, the Conservation Commons and the Earth Optimism Initiative
Catherine Christen

Part III
The Scope and the Spectrum of Empathy: Empathy as a Cross-Industrial Shared Value, and Its Potential for People and the Planet

Chapter 19: Ethics & Values
Modeling Decency, Sir!
Elaine Heumann Gurian

Chapter 20: Our Planet & the Environment
The Anthropocene as Our Conscience
Emlyn Koster

Chapter 21: Education & Entrepreneurship
Educating for Empathy: Global Lessons from Schools and Social Entrepreneurs
Dana Mekler

Chapter 22: Innovation & Design
Designing Empathy into Machines: Lessons Learned from Designing Interactions for Autonomous Vehicles
Kursat Ozenc

Chapter 23: Societal Progress
Museums as Incubators of Innovation and Social Impact
Karleen Gardner