A Timely Book Topic from Ted Malloch

Cambridge, MA – August 29, 2009

Listen to the Review:

Being Generous sets out to be a thorough treatment on generosity, as both a "best practice and an ethical virtue.”  Pulling from the diverse global religious, philosophical, and cultural traditions and underpinnings of generosity, Malloch convincingly makes the case that giving is a universal human experience and a key input into the process of living for God.

The book explores the relationship between generosity, gratitude and trust.  Approaching life with an “attitude of gratitude” and trusting in God’s ability to provide are prerequisites that create the conditions in which people are able to be fully generous.

Interestingly, the book challenges the notion of the "half-life" that is so popular today – the trend of people working to get ahead early in life, and then focusing the last decades of their lives on service: “The balance is perfect and the intention good, but the notion of “halves” is deeply misleading. Why not wait until the last two minutes in this game of life or to your last breath and make some plea?” Instead, Malloch calls for an integration of generosity and giving within daily life, and more importantly, “your character.”  Similarly, he challenges the notion that giving away one’s money upon death is, exclusively, an adequate gesture of generosity; instead he encourages readers to think about how they can give in life.

But lest we assume that to give is fully comfortable, or without risks: “Giving is a risky business, as is any action that creates a relation with another human being. Those who prefer safety are unlikely to go out to others in the spontaneous way that generosity requires. “Being careful” is another name for meanness.”

Nor should generosity be narrowly defined. Generosity exceeds expected financial bounds, to encompass time and talent: “Whether a person is financially “comfortable” or has only modest means, the choices that person makes about what to do with the gifts he or she has received—gifts of talent, energy, influence, time, and resources—provide a remarkably accurate picture of the shape of his or her soul.”

Malloch also points out that competition plays a key role in stimulating and maximizing the impact of generosity: When individuals compete to give more, everyone benefits. And only in a system that separates societal institutions is there maximum freedom.

Being Generous also has a biochemical base - oxytocin, the same chemical that plays a role in bonding between partners, and parents and children, “increases generosity by increasing empathy during perspective taking.”

A series of vignettes looks at “givers through time.”  These profiles, from Sir John Templeton (whose son Dr. Jack Templeton wrote a wonderful introduction) to Oprah Winfrey, offer a helpful look at the business and giving of some major philanthropists throughout time. I only wish he’d given us more insight into what drove their giving.

And very fittingly, all the proceeds from the book sales of Being Generous are donated to GlobalGiving, a global marketplace that connects donors and causes online.

The book ends with a call to action: “I challenge you to consider with greater urgency this virtue of generosity and what it means to your life. Think about its potential to bring hope and comfort to others and joy to your own life. Consider that it might just lie at the center of the very purpose for which we have been created.”

May his call not fall on deaf ears and may more people come to understand that, as John D. Rockefeller said, giving is not a duty, it’s a privilege.