Rediscover the compass you were born with
The Forgotten Compass reveals the life secret that lets you flourish beyond your 50s — kindness, not as a nicety, but as your truest guide.
Award-winning — loved by readers over 50
Why Kindness?
Kindness isn't just being nice — it's who we are
Feeling adrift in today's fast-paced world? The Forgotten Compass invites you to rediscover the transformative power of kindness — not just as a virtue, but as a practical tool to live with greater purpose, health, and connection in your later years.
Better health
Kindness lowers stress, calms the heart, and is linked to a longer, healthier life.
Deeper connection
It strengthens relationships and communities, easing the loneliness of later years.
Clear direction
In an uncertain world, kindness becomes an internal compass that keeps you steady.
Inside the Book
What you'll discover
Blending science, history, and heartfelt stories, each chapter guides you back toward a life of meaning, health, and connection.
- The science of why kindness heals — drawn from a surgeon's career
- How history's wisest voices treated kindness as a compass
- Practical daily habits to rebuild purpose after 50
- Ways to deepen relationships and belong more fully
- How to navigate uncertainty with a steady inner guide
- Simple reflections to carry kindness into every season of life
Meet the Author
Dr. Bimbi Fernando
A transplant surgeon who has spent a career at the intersection of science and human compassion, Dr. Fernando has witnessed how compassion changes outcomes — in operating theatres and in ordinary lives alike.
In The Forgotten Compass, he draws on medicine, history, and deeply personal stories to make the case that kindness is the most practical guide we have for flourishing in the second half of life.
“Kindness is the one instrument I trust in every room — it has never once led me astray.”
Also by the author
Purposeful Retirement: Find Fulfilment in Later Life
Dr Bimbi Fernando is also the author of a practical and inspiring guide to creating a healthy, meaningful and financially fulfilling next chapter.
Discover Purposeful RetirementGo Deeper
Resources to accompany the chapters
Each chapter comes with stories, reflections, and extras that bring the ideas to life. Explore a taste below, then unlock the full companion library.
The trigger for this book and my mission! The Clap for Carers was thought up by Annemarie Plas, a Dutch yoga teacher living in the UK. She thought it would be a great idea, having seen it take place in her homeland. Interestingly, a few of my colleagues were cynical about this, but when it came round to the first Thursday, it was surprisingly uplifting! It got me thinking: how can something as intangible as putting hands together and clapping move so many people so deeply?
Curated links, videos, books and references for every chapter.
Praise
Kind words for The Forgotten Compass
First and foremost clinicians must be kind. It is at the heart of everything we do and this book reminds us why.
Professor Sir Stephen Powis
National Medical Director, NHS England
This wonderful book shows us how happiness and kindness are closely intertwined, and how kindness can be used as a force for good.
Anne, Lady Dodd
Widow of Sir Ken Dodd; Citizen of Honour for Liverpool
Dr Fernando's joyful writing is a great reminder of the power of kindness within our communities, workplaces and lives.
Professor Bob Klaber OBE
Consultant Paediatrician; Co-Founder, Kindness in Healthcare
Kindness runs through his veins. In this book he sets forth a recipe for spreading kindness and compassion in all we do.
Professor Fiona Myint
Consultant Vascular Surgeon; former RCS England Vice-President
A personal window into the origins, physiology and infectiousness of kindness, with an invitation to renew its use with vigour.
Professor Aine Burns
Consultant Nephrologist; former RCP Vice-President
Bimbi is the embodiment of kindness. We need to bottle him up and spread it. There can never be enough of it to go around.
Sir David Sloman
Former Chief Operating Officer, NHS England
A must-read illustration of how kindness is a cornerstone of our humanity, inspiring us to embrace kindness as a strength.
Professor Joerg-Matthias Pollok
Consultant HPB and Liver Transplant Surgeon, Royal Free Hospital
A lovely and timely book, and a refreshing reminder of the importance of kindness in our communities and cultures.
W K Laidlaw
Amazon reader review
A grounded call to action, combining scientific data with real-world experience and inspiring stories of kindness.
Yvette Ryan
Amazon reader review
Begin your journey today
Order The Forgotten Compass and let kindness point the way to your most meaningful years yet.
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