This book is almost certain to anger the individuals it studies. Odendahl interviewed over 140 wealthy American philanthropists regarding their charitable activities, and through interpretative analysis, she suggests that the rich support upper-class charitable interests, such as private colleges, while basic human services are neglected. Despite politicians' rhetoric, the private sector is unlikely to compensate for cutbacks in government social programs, she concludes. Reasonable objections can be made to some of Odendahl's interpretations, especially those that stray into psychoanalysis (is guilt reduction really a motive toward philanthropy?), but her argument is so passionate that it merits discussion. Both public and academic libraries will want this.--From Library Journal.

On January 12, 2010, the deadliest earthquake in the history of the Western Hemisphere struck the nation least prepared to handle it. Jonathan M. Katz, the only full-time American news correspondent in Haiti, was inside his house when it buckled along with hundreds of thousands of others. In this visceral, authoritative first-hand account, Katz chronicles the terror of that day, the devastation visited on ordinary Haitians, and how the world reacted to a nation in need. More than half of American adults gave money for Haiti, part of a monumental response totaling $16.3 billion in pledges. But three years later the relief effort has foundered. It's most basic promises—to build safer housing for the homeless, alleviate severe poverty, and strengthen Haiti to face future disasters—remain unfulfilled. The Big Truck That Went By presents a sharp critique of international aid that defies today's conventional wisdom; that the way wealthy countries give aid makes poor countries seem irredeemably hopeless, while trapping millions in cycles of privation and catastrophe. Katz follows the money to uncover startling truths about how good intentions go wrong, and what can be done to make aid "smarter." With coverage of Bill Clinton, who came to help lead the reconstruction; movie-star aid worker Sean Penn; Wyclef Jean; Haiti's leaders and people alike, Katz weaves a complex, darkly funny, and unexpected portrait of one of the world's most fascinating countries. The Big Truck That Went By is not only a definitive account of Haiti's earthquake, but of the world we live in today.

Got spirituality? How many of us ever pause to think of our spiritual journeys? Jesus in Jeans tells the story of an everyday jeans and t-shirt kind of girl, where a daily dose of faith was as routine as breathing. This spiritual memoir will take you on a journey where you can feel the transformation in author Mary Jo Armen’s life. In a lighthearted, down-to-earth manner, this story will draw you in and leave you thirsting for more. In her relaxed style, you will see the everyday appearance of faith. You will come away with an awareness that faith and spirituality go beyond wearing a cross and calling yourself a Christian. With each sip, you will be inspired to think about your own journey and perhaps you will be inspired to continue on a path in your life that you didn’t realize you were on, or start a new path and walk with the everyday Jesus you have longed to know. Jesus in Jeans is an inspiring spiritual journey that, at a minimum, will leave you with a feeling of peace, love, and joy. Who wouldn’t want a piece of that?

We all know we should give to charity, but who really does? In his controversial study of America's giving habits, Arthur C. Brooks shatters stereotypes about charity in America-including the myth that the political Left is more compassionate than the Right. Brooks, a preeminent public policy expert, spent years researching giving trends in America, and even he was surprised by what he found. In Who Really Cares, he identifies the forces behind American charity: strong families, church attendance, earning one's own income (as opposed to receiving welfare), and the belief that individuals-not government-offer the best solution to social ills. But beyond just showing us who the givers and non-givers in America really are today, Brooks shows that giving is crucial to our economic prosperity, as well as to our happiness, health, and our ability to govern ourselves as a free people.

Argues that for the first time in history we're in a position to end extreme poverty throughout the world, both because of our unprecedented wealth and advances in technology, therefore we can no longer consider ourselves good people unless we give more to the poor. Reprint.

The notion that charity begins at home has never been easier to teach children than with this enchanting gift set based on the Jewish tradition of tzadakah, in which children save coins in banks for the less fortunate. Added inspiration for contributing to worthy causes comes from Emmy Award-winning television personality Mister Rogers, whose peaceful "neighborhood" has been a comforting presence in millions of homes for more than 25 years.In the book that accompanies THE GIVING BOX, Mister Rogers teaches lessons of generosity and charity through heartwarming fictional stories set in countries around the world. For children, he describes how good it feels to give to those less fortunate, and reveals how even one child's contribution can make a difference. For parents, he offers wise suggestions and practical guidelines on teaching children the moral lesson of compassion for others and the value of charity.

A blueprint for a national leadership movement to transform the way the public thinks about giving Virtually everything our society has been taught about charity is backwards. We deny the social sector the ability to grow because of our short-sighted demand that it send every short-term dollar into direct services. Yet if the sector cannot grow, it can never match the scale of our great social problems. In the face of this dilemma, the sector has remained silent, defenseless, and disorganized. In Charity Case, Pallotta proposes a visionary solution: a Charity Defense Council to re-educate the public and give charities the freedom they need to solve our most pressing social issues. Proposes concrete steps for how a national Charity Defense Council will transform the public understanding of the humanitarian sector, including: building an anti-defamation league and legal defense for the sector, creating a massive national ongoing ad campaign to upgrade public literacy about giving, and ultimately enacting a National Civil Rights Act for Charity and Social Enterprise From Dan Pallotta, renowned builder of social movements and inventor of the multi-day charity event industry (including the AIDS Rides and Breast Cancer 3-Days) that has cumulatively raised over $1.1 billion for critical social causes The hotly-anticipated follow-up to Pallotta’s groundbreaking book Uncharitable Grounded in Pallotta’s clear vision and deep social sector experience, Charity Case is a fascinating wake-up call for fixing the culture that thwarts our charities’ ability to change the world.

This book describes the challenges facing charities, explains how they must reassess their commitment, and pushes charities to be their best. It also examines how two sectors of society - business and government - would benefit from a similar corrective journey.

In this era of eroding commitment to government sponsored welfare programs, voluntarism and private charity have become the popular, optimistic solutions to poverty and hunger. The resurgence of charity has to be a good thing, doesn't it? No, says sociologist Janet Poppendieck, not when stopgap charitable efforts replace consistent public policy, and poverty continues to grow.In Sweet Charity?, Poppendieck travels the country to work in soup kitchens and "gleaning" centers, reporting from the frontlines of America's hunger relief programs to assess the effectiveness of these homegrown efforts. We hear from the "clients" who receive meals too small to feed their families; from the enthusiastic volunteers; and from the directors, who wonder if their "successful" programs are in some way perpetuating the problem they are struggling to solve. Hailed as the most significant book on hunger to appear in decades, Sweet Charity? shows how the drive to end poverty has taken a wrong turn with thousands of well-meaning volunteers on board.