From Generosity to Justice
A New Gospel of Wealth
Darren Walker’s From Generosity to Justice charts a bold new path for changing the world by giving.
Walker says that the contemporary world is as rife with inequality as Andrew Carnegie’s period was when he published The Gospel of Wealth, launching a philosophy of philanthropy that still permeates charitable giving. Though Carnegie’s book led to decades of good works, Walker argues that, as inequality widens, a new philosophy of giving is imperative. Central to the approach this book proposes are ideas like sharing access and opportunity, addressing causes not consequences, and giving with humility and courage.
Introducing a “continuum of awareness” to clarify the differences between traditional generosity (like donating canned goods), methods that have more impact (like free school lunches), and the more complete justice it aims for (like dismantling the systems of poverty that make it hard to afford healthy food), this clear-thinking text insists that powerful shifts in thinking are vital to changing actions and outcomes. While it acknowledges the challenges involved in seeing the limits of traditional models, the book is encouraging and supportive, eschewing guilt and embracing the hope embodied by the many examples it shares, many of which draw from Walker’s experiences as the president of the Ford Foundation. It also incorporates inspiring interviews with others whose philanthropic work has changed lives, including XQ Institute founder Laurene Powell Jobs and labor activist Ai-jen Poo.
Noting that being able to address inequality requires keen inner work, Walker exhorts the powerful impact of listening to a wide variety of perspectives and examining one’s personal motives and biases. He and the others featured herein live out this humble commitment to change, and From Generosity to Justice powerfully introduces its ambitious social science paradigm shift as a result.
Reviewed by
Melissa Wuske
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
