Book Reviews

Bookmark: Choosing Civility: The Twenty-Five Rules of Considerate Conduct by P.M. Forni Cofounder of the Johns Hopkins Civility Project, author P.M. Forni reminds us, "Just about the most important thing we do in life is interacting with other human beings." Not only does he remind us how important such interaction is, but also how far we have strayed in our everyday lives from being civil and polite in all we do. With a gentle reminder that "All we have to do is stop, think about it, and then act," Forni provides the reader with a step-by-step guide to rediscovering good and sensible manners for a more stress-free and enjoyable life. This gem of a book is a must read. [...]

Bookmark: The Generosity Network by Jennifer McCrea and Jeffrey C. Walker with Karl Weber The Generosity Network weaves a web of generosity and collaboration, which is a win-win for everyone and every cause -- from local to global. The authors' ability to define and humanize the relationship building process that can move a person from transactional to transformational philanthropy makes this a must-read for donors, funders, nonprofit executive and fundraisers. This book gives insight into how our personal attitudes about money and giving may inhibit our generosity. It also provides realistic insight and the road map to be the philanthropist we can be and how to turn dreams into reality and results. If you want to tell a compelling [...]

In this topsy-turvy world, who among us has the luxury to sit down in a quiet place and think about the life we want to live? Author P. M. Forni makes an extremely compelling case as to why we must find the time to make an earnest self-examination of the important things in our life. Why? Because, "If life is valuable," says Forni, "it only makes sense to attend to it constantly." And giving attention to the present moment is one way to seek relief from the frenzy and inefficient acts of multi-tasking that seem to be today's norm. In 12 short chapters, the author packs a lot of solid advice and reflective questions to put the reader on a [...]

Bookmark: Everyone Wants Your Money: Helping You Navigate Through Philanthropy by Dr. Gray Keller From the title, you may expect the message in this book to be most appropriate for donors. And while that may be Dr. Gray Keller's intent, I believe his wisdom, practical advice and stories speak directly to the heart of every development and fundraising professional. Dr. Keller is a philosopher, poet, and philanthropist with degrees in philosophy, theology and leadership. His trifecta of experiences challenge both donors and gift planners to reflect on who we are, what we do, why we do it, and how to be a strategic philanthropic leader. "As a philanthropic leader," writes Keller, "You will have to decide to give in [...]

Bookmark: Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success by Adam Grant There are three types of people: givers, takers and matchers -- each with their own impact on success. Author Adam Grant's research reveals some surprising results. "There is something distinctive that happens when givers succeed -- it spreads and cascades," according to Grant. "Givers succeed in a way that creates a ripple effect, enhancing the success of people around them." This is good news for nonprofit and corporate executives who, more and more, rely on collaboration and team initiatives to solve problems and create value for their donors and clients. The author makes the case that giver values, such as helpfulness, responsibility, social justice, and compassion have [...]

Bookmark: The Female Vision by Sally Helgesen and Julie Johnson There seems to be a plethora of books about the positive virtues of seeing and interpreting the current state-of-the-world from a women's point of view. The authors recognize that we are approaching a tipping point of a change of leadership style in all three sectors of society -- corporate, government and nonprofit (sometimes referred to as the third sector). If one believes, as I and many of my colleagues do, that society's moral compass no longer points due north, the principles set forth in this book provide a road map to get us back on course. In fact, one of the three principles, "Women's tendency to analyze information in [...]

Bookmark: The Athena Doctrine: How Women (and the Men Who Think Like Them) Will Rule the Future by John Gerzema and Michael D' Antonio Good news awaits the reader of the extraordinary and inspiring stories in The Athena Doctrine by John Gerzema and Michael D' Antonio. The authors describe women and men who lead innovative organizations with the skills, values, and attributes usually associated with women. The results of quantitative research compiled from 64,000 people surveyed in 13 nations provide conclusive evidence why collaboration, empathy, and listening qualities are what the world needs now. In a time when interdependence and transparency rank high as qualities necessary for success, the attributes of a "zero-sum game" leadership style is no longer [...]

Bookmark: Beyond Religion: Ethics for a Whole World, by His Holiness The Dalai Lama XIV There is a season for every book and this is the season to read Beyond Religion: Ethics for a Whole World. For those of us who believe we are passing through the economic, political and social "winter of our discontent," the Dalai Lama's message gives us hope for a common humanity based on actively practicing the "positive inner qualities of the human heart that arise from our core disposition toward compassion, and learning to combat our more destructive propensities." This is a guidebook to help each of us come to understand the importance of knowing and practicing our ethical awareness and inner values in a [...]

Bookmark: The Gospel of Wealth by Andrew Carnegie Andrew Carnegie's The Gospel of Wealth was originally published in the North American Review in June 1889, and again by Applewood Books, Inc., of Bedford, Mass. in 1998. "The man who dies thus rich dies disgraced," concludes Andrew Carnegie at the end of Part I of his timeless and poignant essay. This is a must read not only for every donor, development officer and fundraiser, but also for every politician, estate attorney and wealth advisor. Carnegie, a man whose riches were the product of our nation's capitalist principles, defends his position not unlike the modern day manifesto of billionaires Bill Gates and Warren Buffett, to give away a major portion of [...]

Bookmark: Like a Library Burning: Sharing and Saving a Lifetime of Stories by Scott Farnsworth and Peggy R. Hoyt Like a Library Burning: Sharing and Saving a Lifetime of Stories, by Scott Farnsworth and Peggy R. Hoyt is a wake-up call for all of us to "smell the roses." We must take the time to give a voice to those moments in our lives that reflect who we are and what wisdom we wish to pass on to family and friends. There is no perfect time except right now to start telling our story and encouraging others to share their stories, for, as the American poet Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, "...you never know how soon it will be too late." [...]

Bookmark: Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation by Parker J. Palmer Parker J. Palmer, author of highly acclaimed books such as The Courage to Teach and A Hidden Wholeness, is highly regarded as one of the most influential senior leaders in higher education. In his book, Let Your Life Speak, he compassionately challenges and cajoles the reader to "live more deeply into the selfhood that is our birthright gift." As he illustrates through his personal life-journey of darkness and light, a more attentive relationship with our deeper, truer self, leads to greater personal fulfillment, "communion with others, and ways of serving the world's deepest needs." Parker seeks to answer this question for himself (and is successful) [...]

Bookmark: Four Titles to Inspire and Inform For those who want to add timely, informative, and inspiring books to their library, let me suggest four recent books published by John Wiley & Sons. Attendees at the national Partnership for Philanthropic Planning conference earlier this month in New Orleans had the opportunity to meet and talk with the authors (including yours, truly) at the booth sponsored by the publisher. Michael J. Rosen, Margaret May, and Brian M. Sagrestano The potpourri of topics included two books hot off the press, The Philanthropic Planning Companion by Brian M. Sagrestano and Robert E. Wahlers, a one-stop resource detailing donor/client behavior, and A Fundraising Guide for Nonprofit Board Members by Julia Ingraham Walker with [...]

Bookmark: The Psychology of Happiness: A Good Human Life by Samuel S. Franklin Reading this book has made me acutely aware of the seemingly endless political rhetoric superficially bantered around "the pursuit of happiness," during this highly charged campaign season. These incessant and incomplete sound bytes are all the more reason to read Franklin's book and find out what Jefferson actually did mean when he wrote about "the pursuit of happiness" in our Declaration of Independence. The author makes a compelling case through extensive research as to why happiness is so much more than just a feel good state of mind. He provides a road map for "habits of living a good life," through a blending of Aristotle's principles [...]